Reaching out
by Cookie M 2012
Summary: Tigress is going along her life normally, with her friends and new husband by her side. But when Shifu informs Tigress that someone far away needs her help, she forces herself to face something that she thought she would never have to encounter with again... Her past. Little does she know that someone old, and someone new is awaiting to make a connection.
1. Chapter 1

_**~4 years after the defeat of Lord Shen.~**_

Tigress' eyelashes batted once or twice, before revealing her beautiful sunset orbs. She was meditating in the shady area of the court yard, as Viper was training with Monkey, watching each others slowly, eyes narrow, and back hunched in defense mode. They were working on a routine Shifu instructed them to do, which was now done to perfection, and without flaw. It was a lovely sunny morning, along with everyone's sunny moods, while cooling off in the shade. Tigress watched them in silence, watching their body movement closely. She could see Monkey was positioned in his mode to attack, though if he moved his arm slightly to the left, he would be protected by a pressure point being attacked by his opponent. She could tell him if she wanted to, but she wasn't the teacher, and thought she was better off not disturbing him, in case it set him off guard.

"Lookin' good guys!" Called Po, as he came out of the training hall all of a sudden. Monkey stopped and smiled as he waved.

"Thanks Po," he called back, before being knocked over by Viper. Po laughed as she thanked him for distracting her opponent, answering "Your most welcome."

"Hey no fair!" Pouted the primate, as if he was two years old. he sat up and crossed his arms in annoyance. "No helping is allowed!"

"I wasn't really meant to," said Po defensively, but he gave Viper a small wink. "I was only complimenting your process. You were the one who got distracted Monkey."

This made Viper giggle, before Monkey delcared; "Re-Match!"

Tigress smiled at the sight of the panda's gentle smile as the two started again, as she looked down at the gold ring on her forefinger.

"Hey there beautiful," greeted the panda, settling himself down beside her. She smirked as she looked up, and planted a small, quick kiss on his lips.

"Hey there handsome." She replied, holding his paw with the one with the gold ring, resting her head on his shoulder. The two have been married for only a year, and it has been a happy one for them. They confessed their feelings to each other under the moonlight, not long after the defeat of Lord Shen, were engaged after dating for 3 years, and then got married a month later. Despite the jokes from Monkey and Mantis here and there, and the people forever cooing or asking questions about their relationship so far every now and again, and Mr. Ping asking them awkward questions, everything else went on smoothly. The two moved into a modest, two story house not far from the Jade Palace, so they could still train with their comrades... whilst having some privacy together as a couple, but the two were given an option that whenever they fancied, they could either stay in the Palace after training, or they could just walk back home.

"Master Shifu wants to see you." He whispered into her ear. The ear he whispered into flattened across her head when he finished, while looking at him curiously.

"Why?" she questioned. Po shrugged, before answering; "No idea."

"Okay," she replied.

And so she stood up, and walked towards the hall of hero's, where she saw master Shifu, speaking with Zeng the Messenger.

* * *

As she drew closer to her master, she could hear them continue their small, and soft conversation. She couldn't detect what the two were saying, and assumed it was important and it was not for her ears to hear. She stood two feet away from them, and waited patiently for her master to finish with his employee. Shifu looked behind, and noticed her there. He cleared his throat, asking Tigress why was she there.

"I was informed you needed me?" She said. Shifu nodded, before turning to Zeng.

"You are dismissed." He stated. Zeng bowed in respect to Shifu, before bowing to the feline.

"Master Tigress." He said. She bowed back.

"Zeng." She replied, before her waddled off and did other errands around the palace. After it was silent again, Tigress and Shifu were the only ones left in the hall.

"What can I be in service?" Asked the feline once more. Shifu held himself up with his walking stick, while taking out a scroll.

"I have received a message from a neighbouring village that an important place is in danger of being to be torn down. We need to think of a fundraiser in order to save it."

Tigress nodded slowly.

"But why are you telling me this alone?" She questioned. Shifu just looked at her with seriousness in his eyes, the type Tigress had never ever seen before.

"The reason why is because this place is where you were there... for some time..."

Tigress looked at her with surprise and shock.

"You mean..."

Shifu nodded.

"Yes. The Bao Gu orphanage is in danger of being torn down, along with the chances of leaving many matrons and nurses unemployed and orphans homeless. The head nurse turned to us, considering you were..." he cleared his throat quickly. "Once in their care."

Tigress turned her head slightly away to the right from her master. The "in their care" part didn't seem to fit a good way to describe how she was treated back in Bao Gu as a child. It was something she never wanted to turn to and be haunted about again. She blocked it out of her present thoughts... Yet they were able to creep in and destroy her plans with Po as a married couple in the near future, and she couldn't stop them. Po was the one for loving and wanting children, but he knew never to ask Tigress until he thought it was the right time...

Each time she was heard from him; "I was thinking... maybe we could start a family?" it made her freeze, and if Po saw it, he remained mute for the rest of the day, or quickly moved on from the subject, and discussed something else like the weather, or some story he heard going around the Valley about a goat and a barrel of cabbage, laughing and saying that in his opinion it was absolutely comical. She laughed along too like she forgot the topic of kids altogether. But when she heard hint; "So when will i be expecting grandchildren?" From Mr. Ping, it made her have flashbacks when she was a child... really bad and unwelcoming ones.

Now the _villagers _were beginning to question her and Po about it... sometimes if they were separated from each other in the markets or if one was there while the other was at the Palace, or if they were together on the street or having a small quiet meal. Both usually said nothing at all... and she soon found herself starting to get sick of all the questions, because she never had an answer for anyone who questioned about it... all because of her troubled past. She never knew what Po said if they said it to him alone...

"I know the word 'care' isn't the best way to describe it," Shifu suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts. "But Mrs Mei Long, who is still there since from when you were young, asked specially, adding that she would like to see you again and know how you are doing..."

Tigress closed her eyes, feeling a hint of anger rising within her. She never liked Mei Long, who was the head matron of the orphanage when she was inhabited at Bao Gu, and the one who watched her growing up, let alone being the only who was able to discipline her. The other nurses addressed her as Sister Mei, and the child called her 'Lady Mei'. For those who question this part, Mei Long was a goat. And despite her puffy chest and furry joints, she was indeed small... spindely, stout, and _very_ strict. Everyone was scared of her, even the older, and the some-what 'fearless' children. She had these small, beady eyes behind large, thick, and scary glasses, with a cane always near by or in hand. Tigress would've never _imagined, _let alone _dreamed _that the old goat would have ever wanted to see her again... but maybe she wanted to see her so she could pitch in to help save Bao Gu. She was a little surprised that the old bag was even _breathing _still...

Tigress looked back at her master.

"What else?" She asked, feeling that there is more coming.

"That's it."

That surely surprised her. She wasn't expecting that coming at all.

"It's your choice whether to do this event or not Master Tigress. They asked you specially to think about it." Shifu's voiced suddenly came out of nowhere. Tigress looked at her master. She _had _no choice.

"Alright. When do we leave?"

"Soon, gather the others and bring them here. I'll explain what's going on, then you will have to go home and gather some belongings and food for the trip. It could take all day to get there, maybe longer if we run into mischief," the elder panda explained. He gestured at the door. "Now go get the others."

Tigress bowed, before walking away. But when outside, she leaned against the pillar, and sighed heavily. She didn't want to see or EVER encounter with Mei Long ever again...

But hey, sometimes you had to break promises you make to yourself.

* * *

**There you go everyone!**

**Hope you like the first chapter of**

**Sorry for being so long on all the stories! I have been doing videos!**

**Yeah! I'm on youtube now!**

**XD XD**

**Hehehe hope that goes well!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Everyone stood in single file infront of their Master. They looked at him, before glancing at Tigress with question. Along the way to the Hall of Hero's, just a few minutes back, when she instructed them to follow her to their master, Tigress hinted that Shifu got a request from someone seeking their help urgently. When they asked _who, _she stayed quiet about it and said nothing more, and continued to walk on, staring straight ahead. Seeing they weren't going to get an answer, (even if they tried), they mumbled between themselves, out of (what they hoped) Tigress' reach on what the possibilities were;

And old friend of Shifu?

Maybe someone he didn't get along with? Yet he was willing to help all the same?

...

_Tigress' parents?!_

No one even _dared _to say the last one. Not if they were willing to take a 'little' punch or two... _if you catch my drift. _As Crane would say. So they continued in silence, til they eventually made it til Master Shifu was sighted in the lotus position, his ears flickering at the sound of their padded steps, slowing coming towards him... To where we read eight lines ago. We resume the scene to find Shifu looked at his students' questioning looks, before seeing Tigress looking back at them slightly... irritated.

"Now, Tigress had told you nothing of what I'm about to announce?" He asked. All shook their heads.

"We did _try,_" Monkey admitted, before shrugging.

"But, of course, they got nothing." Said Tigress, as Po placed an arm around her. "I only hinted someone needs our help." She tilted her head and rested it on his shoulder. Everyone was still a little... "Shaken up" by Tigress new side after the two tied the knot, which included allowing Po do certain gestures like that, or Tigress doing those gestures too... But they knew they had to get use to it _sooner_ or later.

"You weren't meant to know any real information til you came here." Added Shifu. He revealed a letter to them all, handed it to Po, and with everyone looking over his shoulder. They began to read along with Vipers voice;

* * *

**急求助** **_  
_**

**為了師父, 和玉皇宮的其他專業人士**. **我的名字叫龍梅，我的頭護士長苞谷孤兒院，誰是需要你的慷慨和關懷，為老百姓著想 在這裡工作，並且為了誰已經離開這裡，或者這裡由親戚誰也無法支持自己的生命或健康的經濟所帶來的孩子.**

** 我們正在對試圖保持在控制之下的地方存在一些問題，但我們缺乏的是資金，而且負債累累。 我在這裡已經將近五十年，而我不容許任何人失業或無家可歸。我是一個誰曾經有過你的學生碩士母老虎在我的手錶和教導給她最好的教育，對於出現在今天我的手錶每隔孩子。我們將不勝感激，如果你幫了我們舉辦的慈善活動籌集資金安全我們的家，工作場所。**

**你的善良將伴隨我們永遠 **  
**如果您同意幫助我們，請盡快發送筆記。 **  
**此致 **  
**龍梅**

**_(Urgent help.  
_**

**_To Master Shifu, and the other professionals of the Jade Palace. My name is Mei Long, and I am the head matron of Bao Gu Orphanage, who is in need of your generosity and concern for the sake of the people working here, and for the sake of the children who have been left here, or brought here by relatives who couldn't support their lives or health financially. _**

**_We are having some problems on trying to keep the place under control, but we are short on money and are in debt. I have been here for almost fifty years, and I am not allowing anyone become unemployed, or homeless. I was the one who once had your student Master Tigress under my watch and teachings to give her the best of education possible, like every other child present in my watch, I would appreciate it if you helped us hold charity events to raise money to safe our home, and workplace._**

_**Your kindness will be with us for eternity**_  
_**If you agree to help us, please send note as soon as possible.**_  
_**Sincerely,**_  
_**Mei Long**_**_)_**

* * *

Everyone looked at Tigress as soon was their eyes laid upon the last word of the letter, with their scaly friends' voice echoing in their minds. Tigress looked back, as if it didn't have an affect on her, but soon, she realized she was holding her breath when she felt light headed, and her knees felt like they were starting to give out beneath her. Shifu words echoed in her head;

_"I know the word 'care' isn't the best way to describe it," Shifu suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts. "But Mrs Mei Long, who is still there since from when you were young, asked specially, adding that she would like to see you again and know how you are doing..."_

Listening and reading the letter herself, she saw nothing bout Mei wanting her to think about it especially...

_Shifu was lying..._ she thought, anger rising inside of her.

"Well," Crane's voice suddenly filled the room. His voice sounded at little croaky, as if he was fearing to be badly treated for saying a word about Bao Gu. Clearing his throat, he finished the sentence with; "I believe we will have to go pack?"

"Indeed," said the elder master. "Plus, we have to do two things." He counted them off. "A; notify Sister Long, and B; when we get there, we all must discuss what we are doing as a fundraiser, so we must have some ideas in mind on the way." He looked at them and gestured at the door behind him.

"Go get your belongings ready. We leave as soon as I send a letter to Sister Long. Po, you cook us food for the journey. And Tigress, stay behind for a minute."

Everyone, excluding the feline, bowed, and left. Tigress was ready to confront the elder panda about what he said to her earlier, but he suddenly revealed a small piece of scroll.

"With your decisions," he began. "This is mainly for your eyes only. Don't worry, I didn't look at it."

With silent, quick nod, she took it out of his grasp, before bowing, shaking slightly, and walked casually out of the hall.

* * *

Tigress walked back home unaccompanied, to get her and her husband's belongings ready as he cooked the food in the kitchen back at the palace. Closing the door tightly behind her, she took a breath and leaned against the door, sliding down slowly before finding herself hunched on the ground, eyes directly looking at the floorboards supporting her crouched position. She looked around her, finding out that she was now way from the hot outdoors, to the cool recreation room, with chairs, fireplace, scroll shelves, and a amazing view of the valley... in the next room, you would find yourself in a reasonable sized kitchen, (tall enough for Po to stand in mind you), carefully organised utensils in the cupboards, food supplies in the top cupboards... the sink by a small window, that led their eyes directly to the bamboo forest... (Shifu thought it would be a good idea for their house to be built there, so they could work on any up coming, and unexpected bandits.) Up stairs there was their bedroom, and two spare rooms; One is used as a guest room, and the other was a study...

But she soon her eyes went to her left paw, where the piece of paper Shifu handed her stayed, slightly crinkled because she held onto it a little too tight. She knew it was a personal message from Sister Mei, but she was expecting lots of negative things from the woman, and how she was delighted when Shifu took her away from that _dreadful _orphanage...

Soothing out the page gently, she stood up and went to the arm chair, and settled down in it. Looking over her shoulder and around the room in case if someone magically appeared out of nowhere, trying to see what was written upon it, she covered the page slightly with her left paw, only for her to see. She took a steady breath, and opened the letter, seeing writing she was unfamiliar with, but a voice she knew, but never heard from in so long, echoed inside her head;

* * *

_**(**_**母老虎， **

**我知道我沒有經過過去幾年你的童年過接觸，當你走進市府的教導，成為了一個少年，而現在，我假設你已經變成了一個優雅，美麗勇敢的年輕女子，治病救人每每天...想幫助的人，無論如何就可以了，從來沒有停止，直到每個人，更別說自己，很滿意。我很懷疑你永遠不會希望你以後在苞谷時間再和我說話。大多數人誰住在這裡永遠的孩子保持聯繫，或曾經想回到甚至看到所有的護士，和我應對誰在他們曾經是這個地方的孩子們。我知道你有更難那麼其他的孩子，不想回頭了過去，只留下我們所有人的後面，從來沒有想過我們了，但我懇求你和你的戰友，幫助我們節省這的地方，不只是為了我和其他護士保持我們的工作，但對於其他許多孩子今天誰在這裡。誰是不能被採用的孩子...那些誰沒有那麼幸運，你住在像玉皇宮的地方。我希望你可以找到它在你心臟在思考這一點，做什麼，你必須作為一個戰士。 **  
**此致 **  
**龍梅。**

**附註：我很想看看你現在正在做).**

_**(Tigress,**_

_**I know I haven't been in contact through the last few years of your childhood, when you went into Shifu's teachings, became a teenager, and now, I assume you have turned into a graceful, beautiful courageous young woman, saving lives each and everyday... wanting to help anyone in anyway you can, and never stop until everyone, let alone yourself, are satisfied. And I very much doubt you will ever want to speak to me again after your time in Bao Gu. Most of the children who lived here never kept in contact, or ever wanted to return to even see how all the nurses, and I are coping with the children who were in the place they once were. I know you had it harder then the other children, and wouldn't want to turn back to the past, and just leave us all behind and to never think about us again, but I plead to you and your comrades to help us save this place, not just for the sake of me and the other nurses keeping our jobs, but for the many other children who are here today. The children who are unable to be adopted... the ones who weren't as lucky as you to live in a place like the Jade Palace. I hope you can find it in you heart to think this over, and do what you must as a warrior.**_  
_**Sincerely,**_  
_**Mei Long.**_

_**P.S. I would love to see how you are doing now.)**_

* * *

Tigress' eyes looked at the last sentence for quite some time, long after the voice in her head was extinguished. She unsure whether Mei was even telling the truth.

_Since when did Mei ask to see her, just so she could know how she was doing? And what was this trash about the past? _

Tigress protested the fact that it wasn't like Sister Mei understood that she hasn't spoken to her, or had ever been in contact with her for years... since when did the old bag have Tigress on her 'favorites' list? Tigress knew that the past never bothered her since the day she was announced as the leader of the Furious Five at the age of twelve... at that young age, she knew never to let the past get at her... she was meant to be a hardcore warrior with no weaknesses... and the theory worked like a charm for years... until now.

_Why is it bothering her now?_

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait!**

**Trying to update everything at the same time!**

**Chapter 3 coming soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Po immediately thought something was wrong as soon as he came into the house. Being used to hearing her welcome him from the kitchen as she made herself tea, or smiling at him lovingly from her chair in the recreation room, it felt strange when he heard no one welcome him as he closed the door tightly behind him. He called out Tigress' name when silence continued on long after he was done doing so. But when a voice never answered his call, he began to panic. As far as he knew, she wasn't in the recreation room, seeing he was there coming through the front door, and she wasn't in the kitchen either. Their satchels full of their belongings for the journey, and the big basket for their food and supplies were at the ready on the table... but no Tigress was in site.

He ran upstairs.

"_T-i-g-r-e-s-s!_" He called as he entered the bedroom. Fear quickly turned into relief when he saw her in there, sitting on the bed... but soon his concern soon began to rise when she didn't say any of her comebacks, like; "Calm down Po! I'm not abducted!" or "Stop screaming like a fishwife or the emperor himself will be able to hear you from his Palace!"

She didn't even turn to look at him. She was looking down at the letter from Mei Long, (whom and which he was not aware of.) And from where he was standing, it was only a simple piece of scroll where the words were nothing but little squiggles from the length of distance. Po stepped closer, and then closer, and closer again. By the time he got to around the seventh or eighth step closer, he was at the opposite side of the bed. Silently breathing in, he reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Tigress?" His paw now settled on it... but it only made her jump, and kung fu kick his frightened, and still quite large rear to the ground, making her drop the paper she was holding. It was sore mind you, but he knew she was doing it in defense. Now lying on the ground, nearly paralyzed in fear, he shut his eyes and covered his face protectively with his arms the best he could, bracing himself to get beaten to the plump by his wife...

"Po?" She sounded slightly annoyed and ticked off. "Don't do that again!"

"Then answer me when I call you!" He protested, removing his arms away from his face. "It wouldn't have happened if you answered! I was shouting... didn't you hear me?"

She suddenly paused, and turned from being annoyed as _hell_, to calm, but allowing a sigh escape her throat. She reached out her paw in offer to held him up, her wedding band glinting in front of him. He reached back and held on as he was helped up. Their paws never left each other when he was on his own two feet. Tigress did try to detach his paw from hers, but failed. After that, Po just watched Tigress as she looked down at their linked paws. He knew she did this when something was bothering her, and it was a mighty task to find out what was the reason she was bothered about.

"Tigress?" He said again. Watching her ears flick at the sound of his voice, her head rose up to allow their eyes lock.

"Is it about the orphanage?" He asked. She said nothing to that sentence, and it made him automatically know that it was the answer... but just to be sure, he asked if it was again, and she answered with a nod the second time. He closed the door, and then the curtains. Now the room was slightly more darker... he pulled her to the bed, and they sat down at the end of the bed spread. When he managed to get their paws to peel away from each other, it gave him the opportunity to embrace her warmly, in which he did so.

"Having seconds thoughts?" He asked.

"Mhm." She replied, burying her face into his fur, taking in his scent. She could tell that he had been cooking plenty, there was a strong scent of spices coming from him.

"Why is that?" He asked again. She sighed, before pulling herself away from him.

"It's because of the past," she let out. "It's about the matron, Mei. She wants to see how I'm doing..."

"I don't see anything bad about that." Po began. "I never met this lady... Is she-"

"But," Tigress butted in. "I don't want to see her. And why?" she began to explain that Sister Mei didn't just discipline her harder then the other children; she always criticized Tigress over almost everything she tried to achieve, and what impact it had on her as a child... Those certain parts that came across her mind were never told to Po, or _anyone... not even Master Shifu. _She couldn't in case it made her look weak... and she could live with that... could she? By looking over everything that has been happening... she had become less of the person she was before Po came to the Palace. She was more involved with those around her then she did while growing up. She always distanced herself, and put the past in a bag and threw it away... thinking it would never come back... but eventually the bag ripped itself open, and they made their way back to her mind... she wanted them gone... and it made her feel better once they were let out, with a pair of ears listening to her

Po settled his chin on her forehead when she was finished, making her lean her head on his chest side.

"Didn't you ever tell Shifu how you felt?" He felt her head move side to side. He couldn't blame her why she never did so, coming to think about of it... seeing that after Tai Lung was taken to prison, Shifu distanced himself from Tigress when she was a child, and trained her until her bones were at their breaking point and then stopped... never gave her the praise or affection every child needs... so Tigress soon began did the exact same thing, yet determined to make him proud... but it had no emotional reaction from him. Sometime he thought if Tigress ever cared about it anymore... or if she and Shifu will ever have the father-daughter relationship they should have had at the start.

"I never liked that Matron," Tigress' voice suddenly over came his inner thoughts. He patted her back, making her purr.

"But you'll do it for those kids so they have a place to live?"

Tigress shut her eyes as she got out of her husband's embrace. She reopened them, and stared into her husband's eyes.

"Yes." Po smiled as he leaned in for a kiss. But when he suspected this kiss to be only a small peck before he could praise her about her courage over something so personal to her, but seemingly _little _to him... it became more passionate, and the room darkened as his eyes closed...

* * *

**And the chapter ends there!**

**Woo! Another chapter done for my viewers!**

**Hope y'all like it! Thanks for reading!**

**Please review!**

**Ciao!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

_**A few hours later...**_

_***KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK***_

Po awoke to the sound of the door ready to be hammered off its hinges. He groaned tiredly as he tried to move.

"Po? Tigress? Are you guys in there!?"

The panda sat up to find Tigress still lying beside him, her head resting against his chest, lolling slightly under his chin, eyes closed as she inhaled and exhaled softly with a little purr to go with it. Po smiled as he rubbed her back, but as he kissed her forehead...he then realized something... she wasn't wearing a shirt.

_Oh crud... _he thought.

"Ti?" He whispered worriedly. When he didn't get response for the first time, he gently shook her. "Ti, quickly, wake up."

A moan escaped her lips, before her eyes opened to the sound of the door downstairs as well as her spouses voice. She rubbed her eyes, remaining in the position she was in.

"What is it?" She said, burying her head into her husbands chest again. Her ears perked up as Crane's voice called out to them, making her head rise with her arms, making the rest of her upper body rise slightly. **(Don't even think about it you dirty minded peoples ;D)**

"Guys?" He said, "you there? Shifu's making his way here soon! He asked us to go check if you guys are ready?"

They froze.

"Open the door!" Yelled Mantis. Po and Tigress stared into each others eyes for a split second, before jumping up and out, quickly making sure they were fully clothed and their fur was no longer ruffled and sticking up oddly, or any other obvious signs that could give it away when they answered the door._**  
**_

"Just a second!" Tigress called, making her way down the stairs as Po quickly made the bed. He knew they weren't going to go upstairs and inspect the bedroom, but he did so just in case they were going to question anything or offer to get whatever they have forgotten for them. As he fixed the pillows, he made his way downstairs, no longer panicking. As soon as he touched the last step, he was greeted by four pairs of eyes at the doorstep, belonging to Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis. Tigress was standing slightly behind the door, hiding her look of instant relief as well as thinking the others were going to come in. Po was trying not to laugh at the look, but then struggled even more when everyone turned to her suspiciously and she tried to compose herself like before as they all piled inside and she closed the door.

"Finally!" Said Mantis. "We were standing here for, like, five minutes!"

"Wow," said Tigress sarcastically. She rolled her eyes. "Five minutes. So long!"

"I know right?" Viper joked along, but then showed curiosity.

"What were you two doing anyways?" Asked Crane as he walked in. "But seriously, I hate to be mean but I have to agree with Mantis, it doesn't take somebody five minutes to open the _door_."

"Well," said Tigress, quickly thinking up an excuse. "We were just packing stuff away."

Everyone peered at her, making her look at them questioningly.

"What?" She asked.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Po joined in. "We were debating what to take, and then we had to put the stuff back before packing up proper."

Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis looked at each other.

"O-o-o-o-ok-a-a-a-a-ay..." said Monkey slowly. He looked around the room. "Well you have a nice place here," he said, changing the subject.

"Thanks." Po said as he walked off out of the room to get the satchel full of the food, as well as the satchel full of extra clothes for himself and Tigress. Viper looked at Monkey as everyone looked at each other with question.

"Haven't you been here before?" She asked. "They've been married a year, and you haven't visited them here _ever_?" Monkey rose his arms slightly with a little shrug._  
_

"Yeah I have," he said. He then motioned the atmosphere around them. "But I never got a good look around to observe the whole place." He looked at the door to where the kitchen was, licking his lips.

"And I can already see my favorite spot of the house!" He said, and began to casually walk to the destination, but was pulled back by Viper.

"Not so fast," she said with a sigh. Master Shifu will be here any minute now, and she wasn't going to let Monkey barricade himself in Po and Tigress' kitchen by the time their master arrives... she knew if she allowed him, he wouldn't be fit to travel at all. "This isn't your house, and I'm not letting you destroy it on them!"

"You can eat on the way Monkey," suggested Crane helpfully. Monkey thought about it for a minute, before nodding in agreement.

"Okay then," he replied. "You guys need any help?"

"No we're fine," said Tigress, picking up her small satchel. It contained only a few vests and pants, but she was then starting to mentally debate whether she needed more then that, because Shifu didn't tell them how long they were going to be there for. Speak of the devil, Shifu came knocking as soon as she had this thought.

"Hello students," he greeted. They all bowed.

"Master," they replied.

"I see you are all ready to go, perfect. I sent Zeng with an acceptance note to Sister Long, and came back to inform me that she is waiting for us to come as we speak." He looked at Tigress with a calm expression. "Are we ready?"

Everyone looked at Tigress, now knowing how she felt about the whole thing. They were waiting to see whether or not she would back out of it and refuse to go, or if she would give the heads-up...

But she soon nodded, and with a deep breath, she added; "Let's go."

* * *

**Another chapter done! Hope you liked it everyone! Please review and tell what you think is going to happen next!**

**Ciao!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

By sunset, Shifu and his students were settling down for their first rest since they left home. They could have made it to Bao Gu if they weren't slightly delayed thanks to a sudden bandit raid in the Valley. While sorting it out, Shifu thought it was best for them to wait until their suddenly planned substitutes came along so they could take care of things while the Masters were away. Now with the substitutes settling in the Palace as we speak; Tigress went to fetch the fire wood, Po was taking out some food from the satchel to reheat, Crane and Viper were practicing tai chi, Shifu was meditating, and Monkey and Mantis were watching everyone while they sat on the ground, lazing about. Viper soon stopped practicing tai chi and slithered over to Po.

"Hey Po," she said gently. "Need any help?"

"No I'm fine," the panda replied, not looking up at his serpent friend. He then paused and turned to face her by looking at her over his shoulder, with the rest of his body still facing the satchel as his paws continued to fumble about for more food. "You came over to me about something else didn't you?"

She nodded. "And the reason?" He urged, his arms stopped looking for food, and held the sides of the satchel firmly to keep it open.

"Well..." she said this very quietly, before leaning forwards and whispered. "Is Tigress _okay_ with this?"

"With what? Us going to Bao Gu?"

"Sh! Yes, I mean by that... she seemed a little off before we left don't you think?"

"I agree," said Mantis, suddenly on top of Viper's head. Now Crane and Monkey were standing around Po too. Po tried to hide the blush he felt coming onto his cheeks. He knew the real reason why Tigress seemed off to the others... but it certainly not because of going to Bao Gu! Shifu thankfully was so in sync with his meditation, his ears didn't twitch at the sound of their conversation. But Po looked over at him anyway to make double sure he wasn't pretending, while looking around in case their feline friend was anywhere in sight, before leaning in, and whispering;

"We were talking about it before you guys came down." He said quietly. Everyone looked at each other. "She told me about that Matron… I think her name is… Mei?"

Viper nodded approvingly. "Sister Mei. That's right…. What about her?"

Po spoke again in a quiet voice. "She told me about what Mei was like…" He then remembered the conversation they had, and told the others;

_"Is it about the orphanage?" He asked. She said nothing to that sentence, and it made him automatically know that it was the answer... but just to be sure, he asked if it was again, and she answered with a nod the second time. He closed the door, and then the curtains. Now the room was slightly more darker... he pulled her to the bed, and they sat down at the end of the bed spread. When he managed to get their paws to peel away from each other, it gave him the opportunity to embrace her warmly, in which he did so._

_"Having seconds thoughts?" He asked._

_"Mhm." She replied, burying her face into his fur, taking in his scent. She could tell that he had been cooking plenty; there was a strong scent of spices coming from him._

_"Why is that?" He asked again. She sighed, before pulling herself away from him._

_"It's because of the past," she let out. "It's about the matron, Mei. She wants to see how I'm doing..."_

_"I don't see anything bad about that." Po began. "I never met this lady... Is she-"_

_"But," Tigress butted in. "I don't want to see her. And why?" _

"Did she open to you on that bit?" Mantis interrupted his thoughts, but Po nodded, and told them not to tell Tigress he told them he had shared with them, and they promised (_especially_ Monkey and Mantis!)

"I hope she can cope with this situation," said Crane. He paused. "What did she say exactly about what this Matron did to her?"

That was definitely something he couldn't share to the others. When saying no, he began to recite word for word everything Tigress told him in his mind... and the pain that was in her voice... However before they could pester him any further, Tigress soon came into sight, and they divided up quickly back to what they were doing in the first place. She looked at them with a questioning look, but didn't think much of it... Not until they were eating, and Monkey asked her if she was okay about going to Bao Gu for the first time in years. Po held his breath with everyone else when Tigress stopped eating. She stared at the spot for a little bit, tightened the grip on her chopsticks. Closing her eyes, she placed them down slowly... and reopening her eyes to look straight at Monkey, who was full of fear at this point.

"It's just a small question!" He asked in a panic. "You don't have to answer it if you don't want to!"

The feline didn't say anything at first. She didn't really _want _to, and wanted to keep her mouth shut, after telling Monkey to do the same... but then Po linked one paw with her free one. She turned her head to look down at it... before staring into those big Jade Green Orbs. They had the message of support... and that they are their friends, and it would make her, and the five, feel better if she told them. She blinked once at him, nodding her head, before turning to Monkey, who jumped a little.

"In all honesty..." she said, looking at the ground. Everyone leaned in... she raised her head, with a sort look with the mixture of sorrow and worry. "No." **(I'm trying to describe her expression when talking about Shifu and Tai lung in the first film, and when she basically never got affection from him... not doing so well XD.) **

They all sat up straight, but with worried faces of their own.

"I know it sounds weak," she continued. "But I'm doing this to stop the kids from being homeless."

"What about that Matron who cared for you?"

Tigress shook her head, now with a slight look of anger threatening to take over her voice as she continued. "Mei means nothing to me... she meant nothing to me years ago, and I'm not going to start think her as something important now. I want to move on and forget-" She gets interrupted by her friend giving her a group hug, so she had to restart where she left off. "I want to move on and forget the past... you all are my present, and will help me look to the future after all this... won't you?"

"It doesn't sound weak in the slightest Tigress... and we'll be there for you no matter what. Of course we will help you look to the future..."

"Sure we have our downs, and Mantis and Monkey being sexiest at times..." Said Crane uncertainly.

"Hey!" Monkey and Mantis bark, but they didn't retreat from the hug. "But we will be there for you."

Tigress felt Po closing the group hug. She felt the security close in on her... literally. But her world was starting close with the overwhelming warmth of her friends... but she didn't want to be the cold 'hardcore' Tigress they always knew and push them all away... but she wasn't that Tigress anymore... not entirely. She had softened and became more openly now, but she doesn't show her emotions unless she really means them.

"Don't be afraid of this encounter Tigress," said Viper when they broke the hug. She began feeling the cool air again. "Think it as as _good_ thing! We're going to help lives of many children..."

"And you two could change a child's life here too." Pointed out Mantis, as Po and Tigress linked paws. Everyone looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Asked Po. Mantis swallowed as he lowered his head. In his eyes they saw regret.

"Well," he said quietly. "You know... You could adopt one... seeing you guys can't have kids..."

Monkey, Crane, and Viper looked at him with fear. Tigress look away, her expression unknown to the others, and Po just stared at him. This time, Shifu had his ears twitching to listen to this. Po let go of Tigress' paw, and stood up, turning his back on his friends.

"What makes you say that?" He said. "How do you know? It can happen."

Mantis gulped, and he, Monkey, Crane, and Viper looked at Tigress.

"Are you..."

She shook her head. "But you can't foretell destiny Mantis," she said. "So don't burn away the possibilities."

Mantis hid his face and shut his eyes.

"Po... Tigress..." He leapt a great distance to land of the panda's shoulder. His reopened his eyes... to find his friends' were closed... looking at nothing. "Po... I'm sorry man... I should have said nothing." Po didn't reply, and walked a few feet away from the group, everyone watching him, but were unable to hear him.

"I want to have a kid so bad Mantis." He whispered.

"I know buddy..."

"But when?"

"Whenever you want it to happen-" he paused. "Unless... _Tigress _wishes not to have any?"

Po hid his eyes with his hands.

"She's doesn't feel ready to have them..." he resurfaced. "We've tried Mantis... we haven't seen any signs... I know she wants a baby Mantis, deep down I really do know... but after her experience in Bao Gu... it has made her choice remain in her mind ever since... I hope this journey, yes to the same place... yet I can't help but hope it will help her through her struggles with her past..."

"If not," Mantis rubbed the back of Po's head to give him comfort. "Time will make it happen... And your there to help her through it... not just as her husband... but as her friend. I'm sorry again Po. To you and Tigress."

This time, he got a smile from the panda, and told he was forgiven... but him anyways.

* * *

An hour later, they continued their way in total silence whist walking in the twilight. Tigress was silent most of the time, as she and Po were walking behind everyone else, paw-in-paw, but everyone decided that they would just leave to two alone until they were ready to talk to everyone again. Po kept looking at her worriedly from time to time, but at first he didn't want to say anything in case it set her off...

"Mantis is sorry about what he said Tigress," Po said suddenly. He let go of her paw and put an arm around her waist. "You know that... right?"

Tigress didn't said anything back, and they just continued to walk on, which silenced Po for a whole ten minutes... until she broke the silence suddenly.

"I know..." She said. "But it was a little... embarrassing."

Po held her closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"But I won't hold it against him..." Po breathed out heavily, smiling as he held Tigress close.

"We're almost there," Shifu suddenly called out. Everyone looked up, and paused for a moment, mainly to allow Tigress to take it all in. There, standing tall amongst the tall grass ahead of them; was a big, circular building, with it's shadow growing to the rising moon, almost begging them to come closer. The lights were all off, and made it feel more haunting, not to mention making all the windows look like hundreds of eyes looking down at you with a hungry look.

"This is the 'happiest place in China?'" Asked Monkey to Crane in a tiny squeak, in hope Tigress didn't hear.

Crane nodded.

"Tis meant to," he replied. "But it's only the appearance, and remember that the Matron said they are in debt, so they couldn't _really _think of fixing up the outside at the moment when they have financial difficulties. It could still be the 'happiest place in China' inside?"

"Indeed it will..." Tigress flounced past them, making their bones tense up in fear. "To us. Just because you don't see anything, doesn't mean it's not there."

They knew too well what she was referring too, but forgot all about when they came close enough to the building to see a lone body at the large oak doors, just _waiting_ for them to come close enough to attack and wipe away their existence...

To their luck, a duck was waiting for them, a lantern in hand, and a blank expression on their face as they came to the door.

"Can I help you?" They ask. "Adoptions are not open at this time."

"We understand," said Shifu, taking out a scroll. "We have received a message by your employer; Lady Mei Long?"

The duck's expression never changed, but then took out a key, inserted it into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. _This is it, _Tigress thought as she peered inside.

_I'm about to relive the past._

* * *

**_Woo! another chapter done!_**

**_Hope you all like it guys!_**

**_Chapter 5 coming soon!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

As soon as they walked into the indoor courtyard, the wind slammed the door politely for the duck, but scared the living daylights out of Po, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis. Shifu didn't jump like them, but he flinched a bit at the volume level of the door, which did hurt his ears a little. Tigress knew to expect it as soon as the door's heavy groaning came to her hearing, and then the creaking started as the wind blew a bit stronger. But this didn't stop her from looking around with wide eyes and the tension growing inside her muscles. It was dark, but the moon shone directly down on them, and she spotted the table she sat at... when she lost all hopes at ever being adopted... until Shifu took her our of this hell hole and to the life she's in now. The one she was happy with...

_Hehehehehe!_

She looks around the balconies above them, expecting to see children gazing down at them with questioning looks... but there was no one there, not even in the shadows. Where was that giggle coming from?

_Hehehe!_

The swing came into view, swaying silently back and forth... ever so slowly, as if a ghost child was sitting there, swaying in time with the wind, it's weight not even a corncern. She could make out a faint figurine sitting there... with a possible wide grin on its face as they waved at her politely. Tigress didn't dare wave back. _I'm seeing things, _she thought. _It's not there._

"I shall bring you all to Lady Mei," The duck interrupted her thoughts. Apparently she was one of the new nurses that started working at the Orphanage, nurse Luli. "And then I'll take your things-"

"It's not much," said Po. He opened the satchel that held what was left of their food. The others open their ones that contained their own clothes, if they had any. Mainly Monkey, Crane, Shifu carried a small sack each carrying only a small amount of clothes. Po and Tigress' clothes were in the same bag, which was slung over the feline's shoulder.

"Oh," said Luli. "Well, then... follow me."

Everyone looked at one another with question. "Come, come!" Luli called as she began to waddle towards the north wing . "Lady Mei will be happy that you're here."

Tigress raised a brow as she turned to the others, but didn't say anything. Not that she needed to, they raised theirs back, knowing what she meant. The guys could be smart and could catch on if they tried, and this time they did.

"Are you coming?" Luli called again, and this time, they all followed the duck as she went entered the north wing, where an eerie silence followed them as the walls creaked from within, the reason couldn't inspect the condition of the walls in the dark, and thought it was best to leave it until morning, and left it at that. They walked further down the hall, and up a small flight of stairs. Tigress looked around, as if she was being watched from all angles, and it was making her uncomfortable... and suddenly wishing she wasn't here at all... and hoped she was really at home, in her bed, sound asleep in Po's arms, not wanting to encounter with the past... And this was all a dream...

"Oh! Careful Master Tigress!"

She froze to find her almost bumping into Luli. The others bumped into one another, and composed themselves the best they could. They were outside a decent sized wooden door, with a heavy lock and matching knob... along with the the word's _Matron's Head Quarters _in faded writing. This made Tigress shut her eyes, as she had a memory flying past her eyes;

_She saw herself, aged about four or five, standing by the door. With her arms and back straight up against the wall, and her head hanging to look at her feet, she was dreading every second that went past. She got into trouble by one of the nurses_ (Gods knows what for at that time. Even _she_ couldn't remember what it was for.) _She heard the Nurse screaming hysterically, but she couldn't quite make out what she was saying... but she was saying it to Lady Mei... which makes it more frightening. No child has ever entered the Matron's Head Quarters without walking out with a wobbly lip and tears streaming down their cheeks. Of course, Tigress was filled to the brim with fear, but she wasn't going to start crying now... not yet anyway. _

_She could hear Lady Mei consoling the nurse from behind the door..._

And she shook it away when it got to the worst part. Luli disappeared through the door, instructing them to wait until she calls them. Everyone waited in total silence. No one said nothing... did nothing... they tried not to make any sound when they were breathing... and this allowed Tigress think about the duck like that nurse years ago... but this one was younger... a new nurse perhaps...

_Surely all the nurses were long gone out of here at this point,_ she thought deeply. _Whether through retirement... or possibly death... _

"Lady Mei will see you now," said Luli, poking her head around the door. She smiled at them as her head disappeared... and Mantis motioned Tigress to go in first, no comment or explanation needed. She glared at them all, even though it was only Mantis who did it. They glared at him too, but the bug wasn't getting the hint. However it was too late, because the feline had already disappeared through the door. They quickly followed her, to find themselves in a half lit room. Lanterns glowed poorly a feet away from them on a desk, where half a old, wrinkly... almost melted face was staring down at the wooden craft. on the half they could see, they saw a big black semi circle over the eye exposed, with glass shining within... making the eye hiding behind illuminate and shine by the poor quality of the lantern. On the table, Tigress could see papers lying about in messy heaps... and breathed in sharply as soon as the eyes shot straight at them.

"Masters," Po, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis' eyes widened as how cracked and rough the voice was... for a woman's voice anyways. Viper slithered behind Tigress for protection, as the feline stood her ground. Shifu just stood and stared like his students for a matter of seconds, before clearing his throat and bowed.

"Lady Mei..."

"Good to see you Shifu," she said, her eyes going straight to Luli. "Turn on more lanterns Luli, it's too dark."

"Yes mil lady," the duck bowed quicker then her speech, and in an even quicker flash that her words were heard, the room was brighter, and Tigress shuddered a little this time.

Mei Long was there before her... Tigress' eyes followed every wrinkle on the goat's face. Like a road map of time, every wrinkle has a memory in it... and she was most definitely in most of them... the wool that was once raven black was now almost faded into grey... and her eyes still showed the stern and firmness she remembered as a child... even though the expression was softer then before. It was as if the old goat was trying to not look at Tigress, even when she rose from her seat, removed herself from behind the desk, and limped slightly over towards them all.

"Masters of the Jade Palace... It's an honor to be in your presence." She said with a reserved curtsy. She smiled widely at Po. "And it's an honor to meet you in person for the first time... Dragon Warrior."

Po nodded back. "As to you too Mrs Long."

"Call me Mei. No need for the 'lady' or 'sister' business."

"Yes!" Po stammered. "Of course!"

_Please don't look over at me. _Tigress prayed. _I didn't want to be here in the first place... I'm crazy enough to make the decision to even come! _She heard a sharp inhale, and it wasn't from herself. _Please don't look at me..._

"Tigress? Is that- is that you?" _God dammit! _She thought. Forcing herself with all her strength, she bowed formally towards the to goat, as she would to greet her master, and paused in that pose. "Sister Mei..."

"None of that! Stand up straight! Tall posture!" She straightened up immediately. "Chin up!" Her chin was up, before she was frozen in her stance. Everyone was gazing at her with a look of question. She was probably thinking the same thing as they were. _What was she doing? _

"More disciplined," Mei Long stroked her chin. "After all these years..." Tigress was torn between distraught and embarrassment, and the others could by the way her ears flattened across her head, and her eyes were now slits.

"I know you are all here on strict business, and nothing more." Mei continued, which got their attention again quickly. "I have somehow managed an agreement with the landlord to come here within a weeks time... as you can see..." she motioned around the room. "This place isn't in it's best condition. The landlord agrees to not close down the Orphanage... unless if we have enough sponsors, and evidence of them, to stand and help; he will never bother us money wise..."

"And this is where we come in?" Monkey added.

"Indeed. You all are the main sponsors, unfortunately we will need more then the seven of you."

"I can try and contact other masters to see if they can sponsor too?" Shifu suggested.

Mei smiled. "That'll be perfect! We can discuss more in the morning... Luli will bring you to your rooms." Tigress began to leave with the others after they bowed. "But I wish to speak with Master Tigress."

_Dammit... AGAIN!_

"Of course," Shifu spoke wrongly for her. Tigress stops where she stands, and everyone mouthed her 'good luck' as Po gave her paw a slight squeeze for encouragement, before they quickly evacuated the room with Luli following them slowly out. Tigress practically begged with her eyes for them to keep the door open.

"Shut the door after you," Mei instructed. Tigress rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she heard the door close behind them. _The God's are really testing my patience big time..._

"Sit down Tigress," Mei gestured towards a chair that the feline had not seen, even in the (now) well lit room. Summing up all her courage, she followed the goat, who walked back to her own place behind the desk in a sort of half limb, half waddle. Tigress cracked her fingers, before putting them together in a praying gesture on her knees. It was quite a small chair, possible the right size for a child to sit on, but she didn't say anything.

"Tea?" She heard as she sat down.

"No... thank you."

Silence engulfed the room for a few seconds.

"Well! This is a great way to start off a conversation! I'll begin," Mei smiled, but in an almost frightening way. "After all these years, when you walked out that door with Master Shifu... I knew you would become this..."

"This?" _What kind of description is that!?_

"Well I'm not one for going into detail Master Tigress, but I always believed you would become a lovely young woman..." Glancing down at the shiny band on her finger, she added; "not to mention you had good taste when it comes to finding yourself a loyal man. Congratulations on the engagement, and marriage."

"Thanks?"

Mei leaned in. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course." _Not._

"Your very quiet... and look a little unsettled..." _Obviously! _ "I thought you would be more..." her hoof motioned in a circle as she looked up at the ceiling. "Talkative."

"Well, I have never been one to talk much." Another silence filled the room again, making the atmosphere more and more unsettling for the feline. "I'm glad you decided to come here Master Tigress." Mei stated after a while.

"I never let down anyone, nor will I allow someone go homeless." Tigress replied in a firm tone.

"As a warrior must be." Mei Long rose. "But even so, there is more then just that Tigress..."

"More?" Tigress rose too. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you see... you were not to only... laborious child in Bao Gou... and never shall you be the last..."

"Laborious? Oh, I was more then that, I was a..." She didn't want to say the word. To her it was almost foul language to spew, and a vow she took to never allow it pass into her brain ever again... But that rule was broken.

Mei frowned. "You know that nurse was punished for calling you that word."

"It didn't stop the other kids calling me or thinking me that." Tigress muttered.

"That nurse was warned to never think or say that word ever again, or she would have to find herself a new occupation else where." Mei gulped. "She is still here... but works during the day."

"Alright." Mei could probably sense that Tigress had lost interest by now, and cleared her throat again.

"How long will we be in service?"

"Not long, just until the landlord comes to see the sponsors. And looks at the work we do, and what we plan to fix and sort out."

"How many sponsors do you need?"

Mei's nostrils enlarged very slowly. "I'm not every clear on how many _just _yet, but like I said, more then the seven of you. At least fifteen sponsors would help... More the merrier, but that's just off the top of my head."

Tigress' eyes rolled towards the ceiling. There was at least twenty-five official Kung Fu Masters, which is also counting herself and the others, let alone ones that have retired. Many of them had families of their own or have a soft spot for children, so they wouldn't be hard to persuade on her account.

"It won't be that difficult to get other masters to help would it?" Asked Mei.

Tigress shook her head. "No."

Mei smiled, before creeping over to the door, and opened it with a an eerie creak. "I'll let you get your rest. You know what children are like.

Only giving a single nod, Tigress rose from the chair, and forced herself to walk out casually. "I bid you goodnight Master Tigress."

"To you as well Lady Mei."

Mei smiled, and then said "And no funny business now... I know your an adult, but I ask you and the dragon warrior not to do plan anything special... or _inappropriate _during your stay, if you catch my drift." Tigress blinked in disbelief, but Mei thought Tigress didn't understand what she meant. "These walls may seem thick... but these ears aren't gone just yet," then she shut the door after Tigress bowed to her. The feline stayed that way for a little while longer, before speed walking down the hall, but slowed down again once Luli came into view... and showed her to her room, allowing the feline to blush deeply in the darkness along the way.

* * *

**Luli - dewy jasmine.**

**Hope your enjoying it guys!**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

Po embraced her as soon as Luli was no longer in sight. He was waiting for her outside the office at first, until he was pestered to go by Luli too, and was waiting in their room ever since. They were hugging in the hall, and Tigress wasn't really ready to see their room.

"Where are the others? Where's Master Shifu?" She asked as soon as the door was closed.

"In here," Tigress looked over Po's shoulder to see her Master and comrades behind them. Viper lit the lantern, and Tigress could see that there was only two single beds against the walls. The room was small and narrow, so she assumed everyone else was in another room... but right now, she realized they were worried about how her conversation went.

"How was it?" He asked as he placed his cheek on her head. She burrowed under his chin, helping herself to the warmth from his body. It took away half the anxiety and embarrassment she had experienced... She stared at the wall for a few moments, and then at her bag of clothes sitting in the dusty corner, before she pulled away to talk with her husband face to face. She felt her face burning with more rage when she heard Mei's words came through her head.

_And no funny business now... I know your an adult, but I ask you and the dragon warrior not to do plan anything special... or inappropriate during your stay, if you catch my drift..._

"Tigress?" She saw a smile go across his face when she got herself out from underneath his chin, she then saw Viper, Crane, Mantis, Monkey, and Shifu's curious gaze.

"What were you guys talking about?" He held her arms length, his paws on her arms so he could see her properly. This time... Tigress frowned, and then this made Po's smile fade very quickly.

"What is it?" Asked Viper.

"Laborious..." She whispered. She wasn't so sure if anyone else had heard, but she unhooked herself from Po's arms, walked towards one of the single beds, and sat down. Once more Mei's voice an through her head, but it was the conversation they had, some bits that stood out... it was all coming at her at once.

_"After all these years, when you walked out that door with Master Shifu... I knew you would become this..."_

_"Well I'm not one for going into detail Master Tigress, but I always believed you would become a lovely young woman..." _

_"Your very quiet... and look a little unsettled..." _

_"I thought you would be more... talkative."_

_"Well, you see... you were not to only... laborious child in Bao Gou... and never shall you be the last..."_

_"You know that nurse was punished for calling you that word."_

_"That nurse was warned to never think or say that word ever again, or she would have to find herself a new occupation else where." Mei gulped. "She is still here... but works during the day."_

Half of this stuff she didn't even care about... why did she even want to think of it now? Shifu and the others exchanged worried looks between each other, before they all looked at Po. He gave them a glance, and then he looked towards Tigress. With a quick nod, they all left as quickly and as quietly as possible. When Tigress looked up, she saw Shifu and the others missing. Po was the only one there now, sitting beside her, with his arms around her in hope to give some comfort to her unsettled mind.

"Please tell me what's wrong Tigress," he whispered in her ear. At first she was reluctant, but soon he began to massage her shoulder blades and back, and she almost gave in immediately.

"Please?"

Tigress sighed tiredly. She knew when he wanted something, or wanted to _know _something, he would pester her until she gave in. Most of the time the word 'please' doesn't work, or she can hold down her temper, but then sometimes he would give her a sad look, or big puppy eyes...

"Please Ti, I'm getting worried," He kneels down beside her, and grips onto her paw. "I made a vow to you and the Gods, on _our_ wedding day I would make sure your OK, and I will always be there for you to talk to me in case if something wasn't." _This was something new... _"And no you are _not_ OK... and yes I _am _starting to sound annoying," _you got that right, _she thought. "But I love you Ti," Po brought her paw to his face and kissed it. "I don't want you to be hurt, or sad..." Finally, he looked up at Tigress, who gave him a small, weak, but visible smile.

"Fine," she said. Her smile disappeared and she stood up, taking her paw back. "You wanna know what happened in there? Well, I'll tell you what happened in that office! You listening?"

"I'm all ears."

"We talked about the present, we talked about the Orphanage and its future..." she closed her eyes. "We talked about the past... and what things were done... and what things were said... things I didn't want to know... and things I have to work with here..."

Po looked at her with a discombobulated gaze. "What do you mean by the last bit?"

"She's hinting something Po. Something I probably have to do alone... I don't like the sound of it."

"What did she hint?"

"She said I wasn't the only... Laborious child here... and nor shall I be the last."

Po thought about it deeply. What could this mean? "Alright... anything else?"

"No," Tigress fibbed. "But it's a hint I can't get... like some sort of puzzle, and I can't find the last piece." Tigress walked towards the little window beside one of the beds. Sighing heavily, she rested her arms and elbows upon the wooden sill, and looked out blankly into the night that slowly drifted by. The stars that were usually above hem were nowhere to be found thanks to the dark ominous clouds.

"I'm not good at riddles either," Po joined her at the window sill. "Maybe you should leave it for tonight..." Tigress watched his paw reach for hers, gave it a gentle tug, and then she followed him back to the worn out cots laid out for them. Po quietly picked up his cot and placed it by her cot, laid don beside her, and embraced her from behind. "Let's' just try and get some sleep... I love you Tigress."

"I love you too." And they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**_*Dreamscape* _**

_Tigress was lying down and looking up at a dark black ceiling. She was laughing and kept looking around. The warmth of the sun came through the window soon turned into the cold, as thunder and lightening was heard. Suddenly, a little boy was watching her closely, with his shoulders being held by two unknown and non familiar shadows, but they didn't stop him from holding her paw, which felt strange. The boy looking down at her had the the mixture of blue and brown in forming in his eyes like some kind of potion being created by gypsies, but they were hypnotizing and beautiful all the same. _

_"Who are you?" She wanted to say, but she speech didn't sound right. The boy looked sad and desperate as he looked up at the shadows, pleadingly. "She must be with me! I swore to take care of her no matter what!"_

_She didn't know what they replied to him, but he began crying out as they dragged him away. "No! I promised Mei! I promised Mei!"_

_"Who's Mei? Please tell me!" Tigress reached out her paw, only shocked to find the size of her paw was abnormal... it was the size of a cub's. Soon the echoing of a baby's cry ranged through her head as the face of a girl... a tiger, with blue eyes floated pass her face, whispering again and again, in a strained, hoarse voice;_

_"At last we meet again."_

* * *

**And there we have a cliff hanger! Hope y'all are enjoying it so far!**

**Sorry I haven't been updating! School and stuff!**

**Ciao!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

Tigress sat up as a huge wave of uneasiness flew through her body, ending the dream within seconds. Her forehead was damp with sweat as she opened her eyes and looked around the room quickly. It was morning, and the snoring Panda beside her was undisturbed by her fast movement, let alone the sun light that was sitting on both their faces. Sighing heavily, she rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. A basin and jug was full of water was sitting in the corner of the room, along with two bowls of tofu on a small stool by the door. Tigress looked at them questioningly. Surely they weren't there last night... either way, she went and washed her face with the water in the basin, and felt a breeze going across the back of her neck. She shuddered, and turned her head to see Po still snoozing and snoring under the blanket a few feet away from her.

_It's just a stupid dream..._ she kept telling herself. _It's just a stupid dream... you're going crazy... just a stupid dream... stop it! _ Then she thought about it a little bit more. _Could you even call it a dream? _

She was right... if you think about it, it wasn't a dream... but it wasn't really a nightmare either. Nightmares are classified more "horrendous" then what she saw in her sleep... weren't they?

"Tigress?" She turned to see Po now awake and sitting up, rubbing one eye, while looking at her with the other sleeply. Tigress smiled as she dried her face, picked up the both bowls of tofu, and tiptoed her way towards him.

"Good morning," she whispered, bending forward and giving him a quick kiss on the lips, before putting the bowl of tofu under his nose, even though there was no smell. "Breakfast is ready."

Po looked down at the bowl sleepily. "You went and made breakfast for us?"

"No, no," Tigress sat beside him and picked up her chopsticks. "I woke up and found the food on the stool in the corner," she tilted her head back a little when she was speaking about the stool, and this caused the panda to rise up that tiny bit more, so he could spot the spoken object, just over his spouse's head.

"Ah, I see." He took his bowl and began to eat there and then. "The Nurses must of dropped it in while we were asleep..."

_While checking up on things, _Tigress thought as she sat cross legged, and joined him. For once in their married life, they ate in silence, and when they finished, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Tigress said. The door opened immediately, to reveal Mei Long, just as old looking as the night before. She was dressed professionally in a green and orange robe and black sandals.

"Good morning Master's," she greeted. "Sorry if I disturbed any conversations between you?"

"No not at all," said Po, sitting up before the feline had a chance to make a sound. "Just finished our breakfast," if you counted tofu as breakfast that is. "Thank you."

"Your very welcome," Mei Long smiled at him. "Now, I know you are guests, but us elderly nurses can't look after the little ones like we used to, and the new younger nurses can make things quite difficult for themselves..."

"We got the hint," Tigress stood up and picked up the bowls. "We'll be down right away."

"Thank you, see you in a few minutes." Said Mei Long, then she walked in and gestured Tigress to hand her the bowls. She watched Po get out of bed slowly as Tigress got the hint, she did so, and watched as Mei crept out of the room slowly, and sighed.

"Are you OK Tigress?" Po tilted hiss head, trying to see if that caught her attention.

"Yes," she replied. She turned and gave him a reassuring smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well... I remembered you saying last night..."

"Say nothing about last night to anyone will you?" Tigress said quickly, cutting off his words as quick as a stab. "I don't want anyone else to ask me..."

"Of course... I wouldn't do that to you... ever."

"Good, now lets go."

"Can I wash my face and everything first?"

She sighed. "I'll go ahead and start helping."

* * *

***A few minutes later.***

Nearly over thirty tables were full of children hitting their fists on them, shouting rudely, laughing amongst themselves, or, if they were teenagers, they sat quietly or talking among themselves like your average civilized being. Tigress stood in the shadows and watched the whole scene. One nurse was working at least two tables each, passing out bowls. Mei told her to go to the hall, and a nurse would assign her to a job... No one was waiting for her, and the others didn't arrive yet, so she stood quietly in the shadows and waited... and it was morning after all... She wasn't in the mood for little kids to crowd around her. She remembered that she could watch this from the balcony near her room, and she could stand there for minutes at a time... unless Nurses were lurking around, and she would have to stay in her room. She eyed the balconies around her, which rose only to the extent of seven or eight feet above their heads. She could see through the bamboo banisters the darkened hall with no sunlight seeping in.

That hallway led to her room...

"Master Tigress?" She turned to see no one behind her.

"I'm down here," she dropped her eyes towards the ground to the sound of the awkward voice, and met a pair of gentle green eyes. She blinked, and then realized she was looking down at a Dwarf Rabbit, with snowy white fur and long beating lashes.

"Apologies," the feline bowed. "Are you the Nurse to assign me to a job?"

"Indeed, I'm Nurse Xiǎo shūnǚ," she sighed heavily as if she was annoyed with it. She closed her eyes and waited, before opening her eyes and staring at Tigress in slight confusion and shock, before slowly adding. "You won't be working with these children this morning, Mei assigned you to the infants."

Tigress nodded and followed the little rabbit back down the hall, and into a dimly lit room full of cots, with a stool by each one. On one bar per cot there was a piece of scroll on tied by a ribbon, with small swirling dancing across the scripture. Tigress looked at the nearest one. It had the baby's name, age, gender, species, and the day they were brought to the Orphanage, while a nurse fed it. This baby's name was Ai, a four months old female goose, and she came to the Orphanage, three and a half months ago.

It was an identity tag.

"So Master Tigress, what you need to do is just to sit with an infant and feed them through the bottle." Taking the Master by her paw, the dwarf rabbit guided her through the lanes of cots, and stopped her by the cot she was working at. She gestured Tigress to sit, and picked up the little bundle that wriggled in the cot.

"Okay, okay little guy," said Xiǎo gently. "You're in luck! You're getting fed by Master Tigress! How exciting is that!?" Tigress lightly bit her tongue. With the added sentence after her first one in a gentle tone, Xiǎo was using the really irritating baby voice she hears constantly in the Valley, and she wasn't talking about mothers with newborns. She had enough baby voices from Monkey and Mantis when Tigress and Po announced to the five they were dating...

The feline froze slightly. The baby Xiǎo was holding chattered faintly in response, which didn't sound right to Tigress... all the other babies were crying for their food, or giggling after the Nurses finished feeding them...

She saw the baby properly; The little bundle was a tiny monkey. His eyes remained closed as he whimpered and continued to chatter quietly, as if his voice was being strained, and his tail swished weakly through the end of the blanket. The little thing's face was coated in beige, and the rest of him was hidden under the blue blanket that signified his sex. She briefly scanned the tag tied to the bed;

**_Child 177689  
Name:  
Age: 4 days old  
Species: Squirrel Monkey_****  
_ Gender: M_**

"How come he doesn't have a name yet?" Tigress questioned as Xiǎo handed her to little monkey slowly.

"Mind his head! He's still fragile," Xiǎo smiled with satisfaction when Tigress place her paw under the infant's head slowly, giving his neck extra support. "Much better, and to answer your question; when we found this little guy, he was very weak and frail, weaker then the state he's in now, he's only four days old Master Tigress... and that's too early for a child to be separated from their mother." She watched the feline's eyes fall to the monkey's tiny frame as he warmed up a bottle. "Sadly his mother passed away when he was two days old... apparently _she _was a little thing too. I'm not talking about age, I mean in size. He was just too much for her body to handle... but she was strong enough to hold on until he was born."

"What about the father? Could he simply not care for him financially?"

"His father was out of the picture. So because the village he was born in couldn't track him down, we were called in... and he's with us now, for as long as he can."

"You don't mean... he's going to _die?_" She stared down at the little monkey. He was only starting his life out... and it didn't sound so bright for him. With his mother dead, his father missing from his life... and the possibility of dying...

"It's a cruel causality that we can sometimes avoid. If this little guys keeps going to the way he's going now? He'll make it... but we need to boost up his system." Xiǎo smiled as he caressed thee monkey's head. "He's a little treasure to us Nurses. All the children are, but there are those we have to keep a close eye on, ya know?"

"Like me?" Xiǎo blinked in confusion. The other Nurses in the room stopped what they were doing and looked up at the two. Even the babies in the room hushed and left the silence fill up the room.

"I don't understand..." Xiǎo said.

"I do," said a nurse behind Xiǎo turned to her for help, and then she realized what the Master was referring too.

"I didn't mean in that kind of way Master Tigress..." She swallowed shakily as she turned to face Tigress again. "I meant as in _health_. This child will be fine once we continue to keep his health under very _strict_ watch... in the meantime, we're still deciding his name..." But then Xiǎo smiled and handed Tigress the bottle. As she grasped it, she heard the rabbit add; "Maybe... you could do the honors of naming him?"

Tigress' eyes was fixed on the rabbit for a brief moment, making sure she wasn't joking. She realized she wasn't, she felt a small lump in her throat as she returned her gaze to the monkey. His little tale curled up and uncurled itself, as he whimpered for his bottle. She slowly introduced it to him, but as soon as it touched his lips, he opened his mouth, welcomed it, and chattered happily as he got feed at long last... even his little tail curled around her wrist lovingly. After some time in silence, and trying to block out stares from the Nurses, Xiǎo took a seat by Tigress, with a different child in her arms, and feeding him. Tigress smiled down at the baby through the whole time... and felt her heart instantly flutter when his eyes opened, revealing large green eyes, full of love, and determination...

"Chang." Xiǎo looked up.

"Sorry?"

"His name can be Chang..." Tigress finished feeding the little monkey and raised him up to her eye level. "I can tell this little guy will make it through..." He looked up at her as she placed him in the cot, while Xiǎo wrote his new name on the tag.

"Alright, Chang it is." Xiǎo said with a smile. Tigress smiled back, before returning the little monkey back into the holding position he was in before. "Chang, meet Master Tigress." Chang watched the rabbit for a few minutes more in silence, as if to wonder whether he liked the sound of his new name... then he smiled up at Tigress, and slowly reached out for her. Tigress wasn't so sure what to do, so she just moved one finger from her right paw towards him... and he clasped his paw around it... Little did the feline notice Mei Long standing at the entrance of the room...

Smiling from far.

* * *

**_Xiǎo shūnǚ - Little lady._**

**_Ai - Loveable_**

**_Chang - thriving_**

**What do you think of it so far everyone? I hope you liked the part at the end. I tried making it cute and everything lol hope it turned out as I hoped it would :)**

**I'm planning to make another KFP 3 story, but I'm waiting on the English trailer to come out.. Hopefully it will have more detail to the story. Not that I hated the Chinese version! That one was awesome! Soundtrack and everything! But maybe this one, like I said has more detail.**

**Don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 **

Tigress still had the fluttering feeling inside her after the Nurses let her go. She had it while and after feeding Chang, and through her feeding other babies... But now, while she was in the kitchen with Po, it soon dissolved. They were helping Crane, Monkey, Mantis and Viper out giving food out to the kids. When she met the chefs in the kitchen, they were different. They definitely not the chefs from when she was in Bao Gou, but it looked like they all cooked the same disgusting looking broth she had always been served as a child for lunch, and it was in the making as the breakfast was being made, which was the lumpy porridge that made her full after one mouth full.

Po was given the opportunity to cook the food along with the chiefs that cooked there. They didn't seem as pushy or impatient with him when she first walked in...

_She walked in to see them all laughing at one of his jokes as he cooked porridge in the pot. They surrounded him and talked to him about different topics. These were often fired at him as quick as you could click a finger repeatedly, until their voices almost died tiredly, just like your fingers would become tired if you clicked your fingers as quick, and for as long as you could. Po just hovered over the pot while they asked him different things. He probably attempted to answer them all at the same time, grew a little tired of it, and it caused their voices to decline, and to pass time, he told them jokes or funny stories his father told him growing up. Some of them related to him and helped him out telling the others who haven't heard these stories or jokes with him._

_"'Why not,' giggles the woman." Po says. "'Good,' the man replies. 'Get your own blanket.'!" The cooks laughed on cue with him._

_"Man I love that joke!" A pig chuckled, wiping his eye as Tigress leaned against the wall, away from their view, arms folding up as she listened closely, while slowly peeking every once in a while. "Here's another one; A wife said to her husband; '__Honey, what are you doing?' He said that he was reading their marriage certificate. 'Whatever for?' She asked. And he replied-"_

_"- I'm looking for the expiry date!" Po said with the pig in unison. They pointed at each other, laughed together, and when Po placed the wooden spoon he was using down on the counter, the two shared a manly hug._

_"That's another good joke from the home Valley," Po stood tall and turned, hoisted the heavy pot of the stove, turned, and placed it on the table where hundreds of bowls were laid out waiting. They all bounced as he let the pot land with a heavy thump. "Tigress hears it a bunch of times when my dad says it, even though he never got married before. She laughs every single time like the first time she heard it."_

_"Speaking of tying the knot, how's married life?" Asked a rabbit chef. "Especially with Master Tigress." Po and the Cooks turned to him slowly. He raised his arms shaking. "I meant it in a nice way! Promise!"_

_"Your talking like I've been married before my friend! Plus it's going great. One year strong. Any of you guys married too?"_

_"About... two or three of us are hitched," says the pig chef. "So Dragon Warrior, I heard your one for talking as well as cooking. And mostly everyone's definition of marriage, well, in the kitchen, is that you annoy someone for the rest of your life, and they annoy you for the rest of your life too."_

_"Yeah, in a way you can say that." Po grabs a large ladle, and started putting once large spooning of porridge into each bowl. "But to me and Tigress? It's different."_

_"Duh! I mean, you guys are celebrities! Nobles! Known throughout all of China for crying out loud! __People are forever askin' you guys questions right?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Ya, know, 'whens the baby coming?' kind of stuff, right?" _

_Po chuckles. __"Plenty."_

_"How can you live with it? Do ya just ignore them or somethin'? Isn't it annoying? I certainly wouldn't live with it." Tigress listened very closely, her fluttering heart no longer existed. It just froze, and felt really heavy to her. What was he going to say? Was he going to say anything at all?_

_"I just tell them honestly... 'I don't know' is my usual answer."_

_"Do you and Tigress ever consider raising a family?" The rabbit chef asks. "Or even thought about adopting?"_

_"I have... I'm not sure about Tigress." Her eyes closed as she placed a paw over her mouth to stop herself from shouting... or crying. __What he was saying was true... but did it hurt him that bad?_

_"I can understand why," says the pig, and her eyes reopened. "She used to be here in Bao Gou... and so was I."_

_"Same here," says a duck chef. "I remember walking past her room a few times, and this place usually puts orphans off having kids of their own. I still went ahead and had kids of my own. In fact, my wife will be having our third child very soon." __Tigress' ear flickered back and forth. Could these guys have been here at the time she stayed in Bao Gou? They could've made up the fact they was here the time she was..._

_But how would she know? She was the one locked up most of the time._

_"Congrats," Po sounded a bit sad hearing about the duck having another kid, and she felt her heart twist._

_"Sorry if I'm boasting about it Master, but I could see why Tigress wouldn't want a child if she didn't. Don't you think it could be because of the way she was treated here?" When she was brave enough to look, she saw Po have a look of agreement on his face. "Maybe, she's afraid that she'll treat the child the way she was treated as a kid here?"_

_"I.. thought of it that way."_

_"Well at least you have the acknowledgement that it is a possibility of why she may not want a child. I was like that at first, every parent would be, especially the likes of an orphan, who doesn't have anyone to teach them to be a parent. My adopted parents couldn't even tell me the birds and the bees for gods' sake! I had to find out for myself, but my wife helped me along when it came to the fear. That's when you come in Dragon Warrior, you must help _your _wife along." By the end of the sentence, Po was smiling._

_"I've had someone else tell me the same thing." How else told him? Probably Crane or Viper. "I told myself if I got the same advice again, I'd listen to it, an do it... and I now did, so I'll listen," then he began looking around. "I wonder where she is..." He passed the ladle to the pig chef, before smiling at both him and the duck. "Thanks again."_

_"No problem," says the pig as the duck grins._

_"Just remember. She'll need the help, and who better than you? Everyone knows your a really nice guy," the duck adds. "Now, tomorrow morning, same time. You're to serve all the food out now. Try and remember more jokes and stories for tomorrow! We'd like to hear more!"_

_"Will do!" And Po began to walk for the exit, which was beside the wall Tigress was hiding. Panicking slightly, she stood in front of the door, opened it slowly like the way she entered to avoid their conversation from stopping, and when she hear his footsteps coming closer and closer, she shut the door quickly._

_"Oh hey Ti, I was about to go look for you." He hugs her and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Where were you until now?"_

_"Mei had me assigned to a different job," she replies. "Now I'm to help serve out food."_

_"Alright, let's go then."_

* * *

"Attention children!" said Mei, clapping her hoofs together. All the voices died down immediately at her command. The teenagers in the far corner dared to whisper as she spoke. "This week, we have special guests staying with us. I'm sure you will know who they are, and you must respect them and make hem feel welcome."

"Yes Nurse Mei," came the choir of children's voices. Tigress, Shifu, Po, and the others were watching the scene from the darkened hallway. Tigress was listening closely with Master Shifu, while Po, Viper, Mantis, Monkey, and Crane, watched all the child sit quietly in their seats, with the one or two odd child sitting still for one second, then moving about quickly, before sitting again throughout another small segment of Mei Long's speech. A collection of other nurses, including Nurse Xiǎo stood by her, their uniforms as neat as pins as they stood tall without slouches. "Now, I'd like you to welcome the Masters of he Jade Palace!" The sound the children chattering excitedly filled the air as they watched the Masters enter one by one. Shifu came in followed by his students in the following order; Mantis, Viper, Monkey, Crane, Tigress, and then Po.

"It's them! It's them!" Shouted a little goose girl, jumping up in her seat in pure excitement and disbelief. The teenagers in the far corner stared in amazement, but they didn't fan out like the children.

"I can't believe it's Master Mantis!" Shouted a pig boy, pointing at the bug.

"It's Master Monkey!" Gasped two rabbit sisters. The squealed and giggled when they saw Monkey smile and wave at them. "He's waving! At _us!_"

"Master Viper! Master Crane!" The serpent and bug chuckled at a little goat and duckling waving at them like crazy. "Come sit with us! Please!" Viper and Crane could only give them a smile for the moment.

"Mr and Mrs Dragon Warrior!" Said a little pig, clapping his hoofs. All the children at his tables boggled at them and start shouting for their attention. Po chuckled and Tigress nodded towards them.

"Silence!" Mei's voice suddenly screamed out above all the shouting, and the children fell silent, and almost cowered away from the old Nurse. The teenagers blinked, and then rolled their eyes. All the Masters silently winced at the her shouting, and they all opened one eye at the same time as each other, to see Xiǎo, and the other Nurses, remain in the same posture before Mei even gave out. "Now, settle down, the Masters will have plenty of time to answer your questions, but now you all need to have some breakfast." She turned to the Masters. "Can you give us a lend of a paw?" The masters nodded obediently, and made their way back to the kitchen. A few minutes later, they returned with two trays in each paw or wing in Crane, Tigress, and Po's case. For Mantis he balanced on tray on his head with the help of his pincers, and Viper slithered along with the tray wobbling on her head. Mei Long disappeared, possibly back to her office, and the children were allowed to cheer and plead the Masters for their attention. The Nurses helped the Master serve out the breakfast, but didn't say anything to silence the little ones.

"We'll do these little ones," Viper spoke for herself and Crane as she pointed to where all the children around five to seven sat.

"We'll do these guys," Monkey and Mantis pointed at the table where the eight to twelve year old kids were.

"And we'll do the teenagers I guess," Po whispered to Tigress. She nodded slowly. To her knowledge, Nurse Xiǎo worked with them too. She informed the feline that she specialized in babies and teenagers in the Orphanage, with one or two other Nurses to help her. They made their way over to the corner where all the teenagers sat. It wasn't very bright, but they could see clearly that they were watching them closely. Po smiled at them, but Tigress could sense the uneasiness in the small corner;

All the teenagers sat at one table, in total silence, and eyed them in almost a suspicious, yet excited way... for most. One kept staring at Tigress with no sort of excitement within her gaze at all;

Her eyes were a deep blue, with a lighter shaded streak of the blue forming from the center of both her pupils, to the left side of her eye. She was a snow leopard, wearing a lavender tunic, printed in pink roses, white pants, and lavender sandals. Her ears flattened across her head slightly, and her eyes squinted towards Tigress questioningly. Tigress could only stare back, with a slight little furrowing expression of her own.

"Here you go kids," Po placed a bowl between each of the teenagers on one side, the same one as the leopard, and Tigress did the other side without giving the girl further contact. They picked up the wooden spoons that already sat before them, and picked up a spoonful each obediently and in sync. They ate the food slowly at first, but then they licked their lips slowly.

"Mmmm!" They said, and began to dig in.

"Looks like Mei and the cooks are being nice to us today." Slurped a lion boy through one mouth full. "We usually don't have porridge this good." He had gold fur, brown eyes, and darker shaded mane growing in the process. He looked up at Tigress and smiled at her. "My name is Jun." He propped his elbow up and winked at her. Tigress' brows raised in slight surprised, and slightly shook her head with a smile chuckle. "Nice to meet you."

"Don't be such a flirt to a married woman!" Said another boy, fixing his glasses, sighing extremely heavy. Po tried to stifle a laugh. "Don't mind him," he shook his head at Tigress, who smiled and chuckled as she placed a bowl in front of him. "I'll try my best." She whispered, making him smile back shyly.

"What are the rest of your names then? Now that we've met Jun." Po placed the last bowl down. The boy with the glasses, causing his steel grey eyes to gleam in the distant light. He was a cheetah, wearing a silver tunic and beige pants. "My name is Lok."

"I'm Yuki," said a wolf. Her brown eyes shone as she said her name with pride.

"And I Yumi! I'm her twin!" Said the other wolf beside Yuki. Her eyes were bright green. They wore matching colors; pink and white. But Yuki's tunic was pink, and her pants were white. Yumi was vice versa.

"Nice to meet you two," Po said with a smile. He slowly turned to the leopard. "What about you sweetheart?" Lok, Jun, Yuki and Yumi turned to her too. She looked at them, they nodded encouragingly, and sighed.

"I'm Sapphire." She replied. She continued to eat. She licked her lips. "What's in this? It tastes... different."

"It tastes a whole lot better then it was before." Pointed out Jun.

"I was told to add honey, so I guess that's probably your explanation?" Po laughed lightly at they're enthusiastic nods, and Sapphire's tranquil gaze.

"Yep!" Jun slurped it out again, making them sound extra loud to make Sapphire and twins roll their eyes and give him a warning look. "Thank you!"

"Your welcome kid," Po picked up Tigress' (now) bare trays, and turned to her. "I'll be right back." And he left her stranded. She watched him leave, hearing the orphans behind her chatting amongst themselves. When she was brave enough to turn back to them, Sapphire was still staring at her, and it was starting to get on her nerves.

_This is gonna be a l-o-n-g day... _She thought...

Yearning for the day that just begun to end there and then.

* * *

**_Jun - Handsome_**

**_Lok - Happy_**

**_Yuki - Popularity_**

**_Yumi - Beauty_**

**And here is chapter nine! Hope y'all like it! Please review, and if you haven't already favorite and followed, please do that too!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After breakfast, another job was assigned to each Master;

Viper helped with the little children's lessons inside, Crane helped with the washing up in the kitchen, Monkey and Mantis assisted to clean the dining area, bussing the tables, and making sure the floor was food free. Po was sent to help out in the kitchen again, and Tigress was sent to the court yard, and watched the older children until their lessons were ready. To Tigress' delight, it meant she had to just monitor the children to make sure they didn't run off the premises, get into fights, or cause any mischief. So she sat in the shade of a tree, inhaled deeply, and watched the scene unfold.

It was a warm morning, and nothing seemed out of place. Children played chase, sat and chatted, chanted little rhymes, pretended to fight with sticks, played house with ratty dolls they had or themselves, or pretended to have a talent show. If they were teenagers, they would sit and laze about, feeling the warmth of the sun on their faces, letting their limbs and muscles settle, relax and unwind to the sound of the other children, and the sounds of nature. She considered joining them in the sunshine, almost feeling the sun reflecting upon her fur already, but something was off.

She wasn't feeling too well, and decided to hide under the shady tree not far from the building. She had no idea what was wrong. She felt uneasy ever since hearing Po ad the chefs in the kitchen earlier that morning, and now, it was as if the feeling was bit more... noticeable. She could recall feeling it briefly before, but then felt it fade away. Now... it felt permanent at the moment. It wasn't going away. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes, and tried to meditate, doing her level best to block out the children's voices, and the unknown feeling.

_Inner Peace... _There was a rustle behind her. _Inner Peace... O_ne or two small voices, hushing one another. _Inner Peace... _Her ears flattened. _Inner Peace...  
_Her brows furrowed. _Inner Peace... _Her shoulders hunched forward.

Suddenly, her arm reached towards the space beside her, and swabbed away at the thin air at first, and then she felt a thin stick before it jabbed her flank. "So it _is _true!" She opened her eyes, and turned to see a pig, maybe no older than eight or nine, holding the other end of the stick in amazement. Beside him was a goat, perhaps the same age as the pig. The little goat was female, and her eyes were widened in awe when the little pig pointed at Tigress, before looking at the goat slowly.

"I told you so!" The pig claimed. "She always knows when someone is about to attack!"

Tigress couldn't help but smile. "It's like having eyes at the back of my head." She joked. The two tilted themselves to the right, to check the back of her head. She watched them closely, and let go of the stick, which the pig had let go and let it fall into the ground. "What are you doing?"

"Checking if you _have _eyes at the back of your head." Claimed the goat. Tigress couldn't help it, and this time, she laughed lightly.

"I was only joking kiddo." She turned her head for them in case if her words didn't persuade them, before patting the ground on both sides of her. "Come and sit with me eh?" Looking honored to receive the invitation, they sat down on her left and right side, and grinned up at her with pure glee. "What are your names?"

"I'm Chao," said the little pig. "And this is my friend here called Ju."

"Nice to meet the both of you."

Ju pointed up to Tigress shyly. "We know you... your Tigress Dragon Warrior."

The feline chuckled. "Just call me Tigress. There's no 'Dragon Warrior' bit. It's not part of my name."

"But your married to Mr Dragon Warrior aren't you?" Ju looked incredibly confused when Chao asked the question, which only cause Tigress chuckle. Reaching out for the little goat, she picked her up, and gently settled her onto her lap, even though she was still in the Lotus position "Yes, but his name is Po Ping. He is _known_ as the Dragon Warrior, but he was given the surname Ping when he was born."

"Like I was given my first name Ju?"

"Exactly."

"Oh," Ju smiled and clapped her hands. "I get it now. So your Ms Tigress Ping." She giggled and smiled brightly up at Tigress.

"That's right Ju," she replied, and the three sat together for a little while, as Chao began to ask a hundred and one questions about Kung Fu, and fighting bad guys, even standing and did bad attempts of copying Tigress' battle stance.

"What's your full name Master Tigress?"

"Just Tigress Ping now. I don't have a full name."

"Oh," Ju cupped her own chin with a pensive look. "Weird. I have a full name."

"I'm the same" the pig emphasized. "I'm just plain old Chao. I wanna change my name when I grow up!" He punched the air. "I want something cool! Like..." he paused to think about it. "Gang Ling!"

"Gang Ling? I like it, but why that name?" Ju asked. Tigress tilted her head when she continued to look at Chao.

"Maybe," she said, placing Ju on the ground, "maybe because he's going to grow and become a strong, high spirited person."

"That's what I wish to be!" Chao clapped his hoofs in praise, stopping at his attempts to do Tigress' battle stances. "But that's not the reason. Another Orphan said that being an Orphan is never easy, and when you grow up, whether you get adopted or not, you must look at life positively, whatever the situations you face. The most positive people could have gone through the most, and still have a the best attitude towards life... whatever that means."

"Tell me Chao," Tigress beamed. "Who told you this?"

Chao opened his mouth to speak again-

"So answer my question," said a sudden voice before the child had the chance to answer, who jumped up in surprise alongside Ju, and ran off in fright. "Why are you here then?" She turned to see Sapphire, paws on her hips, head tilting to the left.

"On business," she replied casually. She straightened her posture, and flexed her claws. She felt Sapphire's gaze on her again, and she felt her nerves ticking like a bomb. Any moment, she could feel herself standing and telling her to stop staring at her before gorged her eyes out.

"Business?" Sapphire thought about, bringing her paw up to her chin. Cupping it with the palm of her paw, and she looked at the ground for once, tapping her foot, as if she was deep in thought. Tigress watched, and then blinked in surprise when she suddenly clicked her fingers. "Are you guys here for the Landlord situation?"

"How did you know?"

"I have good hearing." Sapphire sat beside her without the invitation. "And my room is next the Matron's office. I heard Mei's conversation with the Landlord the day before you guys came along, plus some of the nurses can be open to us older kids." Her ears flicked unevenly. "We know that we can face these things, sometimes without any fear, I guess that's why they tell us these things."

Tigress stared straight ahead as she heard this. "Well," she began. "Are you worried about what the outcome can result in?"

"Of course not. I'd be able to handle myself no problem." She preened her claws with a look of swelling pride. Then she narrowed her eyes, and let her claws loose. "I don't see why you guys wanna help with the sponsoring of _all _of us. Do the little kids. Don't waste your time on me or the older kids..." Her knees moved up to under her chin, which rested on them. "We're not important."

"Oh?" Sapphire watched Tigress raise a brow. "And why is that?"

"Maybe because the little kids have a better chance of being adopted than we do?" Sapphire gently tapped her forehead twice, and allowed the slight breeze pull her finger tips away from her head. "Honestly, I thought grown ups had _brains._" Tigress' brow remained raised.

"I guess you don't know my husband's back story before he became the Dragon Warrior. Besides, our business isn't about adopting out the little kids." Now it was Sapphire's turn to raise a brow. "I'm guessing you didn't hear the part of conversation with the Landlord about fixing this place up."

Sapphire's eyes rolled like marbles. "Yeah, just so us older kids can feel like we have been adopted maybe? I'd doubt that." Tigress tilted her head to the right and watched Sapphire's body language. She was hugging her knees, and her gaze was down towards the grass, and her eyes didn't look too bright.

"I wouldn't say that," she said. The leopard's eyes shifted towards her quickly. "There are couples out there who wish to adopted older children. They were there when I was here."

Tigress extended her paw to place it on Sapphire's shoulder, only for it to be swatted away. "No need to give false sympathy," Sapphire scoffed rudely, making Tigress blink quickly. "If they did, it's more likely they would be looking for slaves. At least you _got _somewhere. You're up in the Jade Palace." Tigress raised both brows.

"How does that make it any better?" She asked. "Life in the Jade Palace isn't as glamorous as you think."

"It isn't? But what about all the big banquet dinners and parties?"

"They do happen, but not on a daily basis." Tigress unhooked herself from the Lotus position, and sat on her knees, facing the orphan beside her. "To be honest, it's not as different as the orphanage. You have your rooms, and three meals a day, and growing up, you had your lessons. The only difference is that you kids aren't the ones who train in the morning and in the afternoon everyday."

Sapphire twitched her nose at this. "Huh," she began. "That's not what I hear about the palace. Mainly because you live in _a _palace." She paused. "You also missed out on something."

"And that is?"

"You get to leave the ground whenever you please. Us older kids can't go _anywhere. _Not even the Markets." A gong rang, making both Tigress, and Sapphire's ears flick, and heads turn to the entrance of the building. The doors opened slowly to see the younger children run out in small groups, skipping, hopping, talking and laughing. Sapphire continued to watch as Tigress turned back around to face her.

"Maybe because your lesson is about to begin?" Sapphire gave a forced grin and gave a small chuckle, the crinkles around her eyes straining a bit.

"Ha ha ha, I can feel my sides splitting as we speak," she said sarcastically. I hate lessons. There so boring." She sprang to her feet, and bowed to Tigress. Looks like she had some of her essential manners. "I guess I will see you later then, unless if Mei Long has you roped up with something else." Tigress stood up and bowed back. "If not, I will see you some stage today."

"Enjoy your lessons," Tigress paused, rolled her eyes up towards the sky, and thought over what she said briefly. "I forgot, you don't like them. Is there are still children like that here? Who like lessons I mean."

Sapphire laughed, for real this time. "You've met Lok at breakfast this morning didn't you?" Soon Sapphire began to walk away after sharing another small quick chuckle with Tigress. However, when she was a few feet away from Tigress, who had her arms behind her back, watching her make her way to the lessons, she turned and asked casually; "When's the baby coming?"

Tigress stared at her, clearly not able to put the nail in the wood. Her eyes narrowed a little, slowly knitting her brows together. Shaking her head a little,she bright her arms up, and folded them tightly against her chest, just above the stomach. "Run that by me again?" It was almost like Sapphire claimed to be the long lost daughter of the Emperor, which Tigress would clearly not believe at first, before trying to make head or tail of her words. Of course the Emperor had nothing to do with the situation, and they all knew he didn't have a daughter anyway. He was married and already had three sons. Sapphire's paw raised up, and with one claw, she gently scratched at her neck.

"Never mind," she said, low and awkward. "Forget I said anything." Her fell onto all fours, and raced for the entrance. Tigress was tempted to run after her.

"Sapphire wait!" She called. "What did you mean?" But it seemed she made out like she didn't hear her, because Sapphire continued to run, and catch up with Jun and Lok at the doors, and causally walked through the doors.

Leaving Tigress alone in the now child-free field.

* * *

_**Chao - Excellent**_

_**Ju - Daisy Flower**_

_**Gang Ling - Strong Spirit.**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Are you alright Tigress?" She asked.

_Am I? _Tigress continued to stare straight ahead during dinner. _I don't know..._

_Maybe she wasn't hungry; maybe it was the sight of the foggy soup was put her off._ Viper thought as she looked up at her feline friend. It _did_ put Monkey off at first, who thought they were feeding him hot moldy water (even when Viper said that wasn't possible.) Once he forced himself to take a sip, smack his lips together once or twice, and realize it was actually very nice, he began to dig in, trying his level best not to slurp loudly and draw negative, and unwanted attention from the nurses.

Tigress _was_ there when it happened, but sometimes she was was still a bit reluctant herself... or something was on her mind. Po was sitting beside her, following her gaze towards the door, which lead out to the hall where all the children were eating the same food they were. Nurses chattered and scheduled around them, as if they were never there in the first place. The air was full of their voices, all at different ranges, and it began to ring through their heads.

"Are you not hungry?" Po asked her as he placed a paw on her shoulder.

This time she turned to him, smiled, and replied; "Is it a crime if I'm not?"

"No not at all," he smiled back. "I was just curious if you were hungry or not."

"Well I'm a little bit hungry," she said slowly. She turned to the bowl in front of her, and then at Po, one brow raised. "What did you _put_ in it?"

"I didn't make it actually. I helped clean the kitchen after lunch. This was already bubbling on the stove when I went back in." He took a sip of his own. "I honestly don't know what they put in. But I gotta admit, it didn't look nice at first."

"Did your father ever teach you not to judge a book by its cover?" Viper scolded gently from across the table. Her spoon stirred the soup around as she kept her attention on Po and Tigress.

"Yeah, but that's a metaphor with people isn't it?" Mantis asked.

"No, it's a metaphor for _everything_."

"First time I heard it being used on anything but a person."

Viper shook her head and turned her eyes on Tigress. "Men."

Tigress chuckled. "Clueless as anything." She straightened her posture, clearing her throat to get rid of the tickly feeling. "So what did you guys have to do in your assigned jobs before dinner?"

Viper giggled. "The children are so sweet! They wouldn't stop talking about Kung fu, even when the teacher asked them not to talk about it, and pay attention to their Literature. I think the teacher doesn't like me all that much, because I was answering little questions about Kung Fu, and each new question blossomed a new topic... on Kung Fu." They all laughed when she blushed.

"Well your job was interesting than mine." Said Po.

"And mine." Said Monkey.

"And mine!" Said Mantis and Crane.

"I was just cleaning up after the kids." Crane, Monkey, Mantis and Po laughed and high-fived all at once. Some Nurses turned and stared at them, shaking their heads as Tigress and Viper both giggled at the them. Viper turned to apologize to them on on side, while Tigress did the other, and once the Nurses nodded and returned to their own conversations, the serpent smiled at Tigress.

"What about you Tigress? What did you have to do?" She asked.

Tigress waited until boys settled down by finally picking up her spoon and taking a sip. It was quite nice actually. "I didn't have to do much." She said. She took another sip. "I had to keep an eye on the older children until their lessons were ready. That's all."

"Any of them ask you about Kung Fu?"

"Only two of them, Ju and Chao. Then a girl named Sapphire came up and started asking about why we're here..." Tigress' eyes downcast to the table, letting her spoon sit back beside her bowl. "Among other things."

_"When's the baby coming?"_

_Tigress stared at her, clearly not able to put the nail in the wood. Her eyes narrowed a little, slowly knitting her brows together. Shaking her head a little,she bright her arms up, and folded them tightly against her chest, just above the stomach. "Run that by me again?" _

_Sapphire's paw raised up, and with one claw, she gently scratched at her neck._

_"Never mind," she said, low and awkward. "Forget I said anything." Her fell onto all fours, and raced for the entrance. Tigress was tempted to run after her._

_"Sapphire wait!" She called. "What did you mean?" But it seemed she made out like she didn't hear her, because Sapphire continued to run, and catch up with Jun and Lok at the doors, and causally walked through the doors..._

"Is Sapphire the snow leopard in the pink and lavender?" Viper asked.

"The one we meet at breakfast?" When Tigress nodded, Po and Viper smiled.

"Ah, Sapphire seems really sweet." Viper cooed.

"She's an anomalous character." Mantis said, now with Po, Monkey, himself, and Crane listening into the conversation. "Not to mention highly strung. We ran into her this morning when she left her lessons... she seemed a little uneasy." All but Viper mumbled together in agreement.

"Say whatever you want, because to me she's a sweet girl, easily motivated to do anything."

Tigress blinked. "Sapphire is either two faced with certain people, or she must have a twin sister the rest of us have yet to meet."

Monkey chuckled loudly. "Great theory! I was just thinking that!" He praised.

Tigress smirked as she took another spoonful. "I would compliment you with the saying 'You know what they say, great minds think alike', but I'm gonna bite my tongue on that statement. Not all minds that think along the same line are 'great'." Monkey pouted, looking a little offended, before grinning at Tigress, to let her know he was just messing around. "So what else were you guys assisted to after cleaning?"

"I had to just serve the nurses tea," Mantis answered first.

"I was helping the chef's decide on lunch and dinner tomorrow," said Po.

"I was still in the lessons," said Viper. "How about you Tigress?"

"I occupied to little ones outside after their lessons." The feline answered. "Monkey?"

"I was feeding some of the babies." Monkey sighed happily. "There's this little monkey in there I got to feed. His name is Chang." Tigress froze and listened along with the others. "He's a little squirrel Monkey, with huge green eyes, and he's so _tiny._" Monkey smiled at Tigress, holding his hands in a prayer gesture. "I heard you named him."

"You named an orphan?" Viper asked curiously as she side glanced the feline. Tigress nodded, remembering the little moment she spent with Chang.

"_Chang." Xiǎo looked up._

_"Sorry?"_

_"His name can be Chang..." Tigress finished feeding the little monkey and raised him up to her eye level. "I can tell this little guy will make it through..." He looked up at her as she placed him in the cot, while Xiǎo wrote his new name on the tag._

_"Alright, Chang it is." Xiǎo said with a smile. Tigress smiled back, before returning the little monkey back into the holding position he was in before. "Chang, meet Master Tigress." Chang watched the rabbit for a few minutes more in silence, as if to wonder whether he liked the sound of his new name... then he smiled up at Tigress, and slowly reached out for her. Tigress wasn't so sure what to do, so she just moved one finger from her right paw towards him... and he clasped his paw around it._

"Yes I did."

"Did they ask you to?"

"In a way yes, but they offered." Po smiled and placed his paw on top of hers, spreading his fingers until they reached the spaces between hers, and latched them in place. Her fingers automatically locked his in place. "He was a sweet little guy."

"He's very small." Monkey frowned. "They told me about his back ground, did they tell you?"

"It's the reason why I named him Chang."

"Well can we not have sob stories at the dinner table please." Mantis placed his pincers over his ears, and shutting his eyes. Tigress and Monkey glanced at Mantis.

"Who said we were gonna even share it?" Monkey questioned when Mantis removed his pincers from his ears. He rolled his eyes and continued to eat. "It almost kills to think about it, let alone considering sharing it."

"Well if you guys don't wanna, then you don't have to." Viper said sweetly, smiling at Monkey with the same attitude. "You booth sound very fond of this little guy."

"I am that's for sure," Monkey replied with a smile, but before he could say anymore, Shifu and Mei Long joined the table out of nowhere. Tigress expected Shifu would sit with them, and if he didn't, it made no difference, seeing that they were used to not seeing their master at dinner time at all, but it felt atypical that the Nurse who once disciplined her during her time in Bao Gu would sit with them, let alone _her. _As far as she could remember, Mei Long always stayed in her office and ate alone, or if she needed a Nurse for discussing important matters, that Nurse would accompany her and they would eat there.

"Good evening Masters," she said as she pulled a stool over and sat at the head of the table. Po was sitting on her right side, followed by Tigress and Viper, and then Crane was on her left, followed by Monkey and Mantis, and Shifu sat at the other end of the table.

"Good evening Mei." They replied, receiving a smile from the old goat. She watched them all expectantly while they all went back to their food, not speaking anymore.

"Good news, three Masters have returned to us on sponsoring the Orphanage's funds so far," Shifu announced, only to get caught off when all the Nurses in the room began to clap.

"That's wonderful Master Shifu." Viper praised when the clapping died down. "But... how did they back to us so soon?"

"After you all retreated to your rooms, I was up with Ms. Long, and we wrote letters out together, and sent them before dawn."

"Explained why you looked so tired this morning." Crane muttered, before everyone returned to eating. The only sound heard were the occasional slurps.

"How were all the jobs you were assigned to? Not too difficult I hope." Mei tried to start up a conversation, but when they shook their heads in response, she made a different approach to the topic. "Remind me, what were you all doing again?"

"I helped with the lessons."

"I helped with the washing up in the kitchen after breakfast."

"We helped clean the dining area. Then I was helping out giving bottles to the babies."

"I helped out in the kitchen before and after breakfast, and then lunch."

"I was feeding the infants this morning, and watched the older children until their lessons were ready, and then the younger ones after their lessons finished."

Mei smiled at Tigress. "And how did the tasks go for you?"

"I-" Monkey began, but his mouth was quickly covered by Viper's tail. He shifted his gaze to the serpent after she took back her tail, which she used to hush him again, before making him realize that Mei was still looking and smiling at Tigress, who seemed to be avoiding contact with her former carer. "Oh," he mouthed at Viper, who only nodded, and listened into what Tigress had to say.

"It was fine," she replied simply, stirring her spoon about in her soup slowly, before picking it up when she had a decent spoonful of the liquid, before letting it drop into the bowl with a small plop, but that didn't stop Mei was looking on at her still. "I was talking to a few of the children."

"Chao, Ju, and Sapphire?"

"How'd you know?"

Mei chuckled. "My office isn't far from where you were with them. Ju and Chao can be so loud you can hear them a mile away." Tigress began to think about what she spoke with the two orphans. The only thing that stood out the most was what Chao said about her comment on the name he wanted when he grew up.

_"That's what I wish to be! But that's not the reason. Another Orphan said that being an Orphan is never easy, and when you grow up, whether you get adopted or not, you must look at life positively, whatever the situations you face. The most positive people could have gone through the most, and still have the best attitude towards life... whatever that means."_

"You are very gentle with the children, and Sapphire can sometimes be a hard rock to break." Mei's voice's interrupted. "I also wish to point out that I saw you with Chang this morning." _Yay. "_Watching you feed him, you show the image of a nurturing, thoughtful, unconditional loving, patient, kind, generous, and unselfish being…"

"Everything that sums up a mother," Viper added sweetly, making the feline feel a little warm as she put down her spoon.

"As I was just thinking Master Viper," Mei smiled towards the serpent, before looking down at her food. "You will make a fine mother one day." Mantis swallowed uneasily while the other ate like they couldn't hear anything. "And you will make a great father Dragon Warrior."

Po couldn't hide his blushing that easy. "Thank you Mei Long." Soon, Shifu took over the conversation, talking about other Master's they have yet to get a response from, and Tigress remained mute, with Po's gaze secretly inspecting.

* * *

**And I finally give you Chapter 12!**

**Hope y'all enjoy it! Let me know what you think in your reviews!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**_*Dreamscape.*_**

_Tigress looked at herself, making sure the child's paw didn't appear this time. After making sure she was the same size she as before retiring to bed, she took note of her surroundings. It was just darkness, and where she stood, appeared to be the only source of light she had. When she extended her arm forwards, her arm disappeared into the darkness, but fortunately reappeared when she pulled it back, and placed it by her side. __"At last we meet again." The same girl with blue eyes from before sat still in front of her, hugging her knees as she rocked back and forth. She smiled and watched Tigress watch her with caution._

_"Who are you?" Tigress still wasn't sure who this even was._

_The girl sighed. "You were so young when I vanished," she said. "I could never leave this place... I couldn't see how you grow into the character you are now defined..." Tears trickled down the girl's face, even though the pleased expression never left. "At last we meet again."_

_"Why do you keep saying that!?" Tigress snarled. It was like a broken instrument being played repeatedly... it was starting to get really annoying after it was said more then three times."I don't even know you!"_

_"That's the thing," the girl sighed and stood up. "You don't know me, and you never will unfortunately."_

_"And why is that?"_

_"'Cos.." The tear stains turned darker and dark against her white fur, though her smile was strained. "This is reality..."_

_That was when she heard a cry..._

* * *

_***Reality.***_

Po was snoring away when Tigress awoke to find herself in his arms.

Her eyes immediately woke and she went to jump up and probably react like she did to the dream she had the night before, but Po's arm held her against him, giving her feeling the sense of security, and stopping her from going any further than a few inches away from his fur. The room was dark, with the moon as her only source of light coming through the window, and she nudged herself closer to Po for more warmth, trying to stop the echoing of the cry in her head. Her head was resting on his chest, and rose and fell in sync with it, and she could hear his breathing, and then his heart beat. _Thump thump... thump thump... _She raised her eyes up to see his face. He looked so cute and peaceful while he was asleep, and his soft snores made his chest vibrate as it slowly rose and fell, almost matching up to her purring, which was something she only started doing after they started dating...

"Po," she whispered, managing to pull herself up and level his ruffled head fur with the back of her paw. "You have no idea how much you mean to me..." Po chuckled in his sleep.

"Mama..." he said sleepily, making her smile. He came out with some of the weirdest things in his sleep. "Dada..." She laughed softly this time, but then saw the his brows coming together, and his mouth turning into a pout. "Baby..." she swallowed, and frowned, before turning it into a sad look.

"Oh Po..." she whispered again as she place a kiss on his forehead. His head tiled to the left. "If only I wasn't so afraid of my past and worried about what I can do wrong... you'd have what you wanted by now..." She sighed as laid back down, with Po's arm wrapping itself around her tighter. "What _I _want..." She closed her eyes, just as Po's opened his slowly, looking down at her with a side glance, with a little smile. When he thought she was properly asleep again, he wrapped his other arm around her, and cuddled her close from behind like she was a rag doll, nuzzling her neck lovingly as he hunched up into a ball. She allowed one eye open, smiling at him before closing them again. She never told him that she loved it when he held her like that. She never knew why, but it had a wave of warmth to follow, and that was quite beneficial in the winter months.

"Ti..." His eyes closed again. "Gress..." The next time his eyes opened... it was morning. Po sat up in bed to see the sun streaming through the window. At first it was like he was at home, but when he got up and walked towards the window to capture the landscape, he knew they were far from being at home. He was practically living in a nightmare that seemed so peachy. Tigress was private with a few things, but she could talk to him about her childhood because they were both were adopted additions to their families. The things she told him about Bao Gu were nothing like what he had seen. Mei Long was still strict and scary looking, but her attitude towards children, and Tigress were different to the one he had painted for him... He heard a mumble, and turn towards the bed, to see his beloved sitting up, and throwing her legs over the side of the bed tiredly, and slowly stand up.

"Morning," she didn't reply, and he said it again. "Ti?" He asked, a little concerned. She slowly turned to face him, and she didn't look too good. Her eyes were weighed with what was obviously lack of sleep, which made him assume she woke up and few more times during the night, and the way she was holding herself. It wasn't straight and tall like she usually did... it was now slouched and kind of loosened. He slowly walked over and placed a paw on her shoulder, making her head sharply turn towards felt her muscles tense up, but then slowly relax, but her eyes were sharpened even after realizing who he was. "I was saying 'good morning' to you, and you didn't respond... is everything okay?" He looked a her a little closer, and it seemed she wasn't physically okay.

She opened her mouth slightly, slowly, and almost sickly, but before she could even reply, he found himself guiding her towards the bedroom door, and down the halls. "Where are we going?" She asked as they darted past Shifu, who watched them, leaning back a little from the speed Po was going. Po turned and briefly told his Master that they were going for a walk, and they were soon out of the doors. Po said nothing to her and held her under his arm as they made there way closer towards the village near the Orphanage. After a while being mute,and her question the second time, he inhaled deeply, and answered;

"The doctor."

* * *

"I don't see why we're here." She muttered as they entered the reception. It was a small room, brightly painted and simply furnished with bamboo chairs and benches. The check in desk was in sight as soon as they walked in. There they met a white pig, writing and opening letters at the same time as talking to someone in the back room. There were seats opposite the desk where they awaited patiently. "There's nothing _wrong_ with me."

"I just wanna check."

"Check what?"

"Just wanna check." She rolled her eyes. What kind of response was that? "Hi, my wife is here for a health check." He was talking to the pig. "No this is a sudden appointment." She looked up at him when he was talking, and bowed her head as she scribbled stuff down.

"What's the problem?" She looked up at Tigress.

"Noth-" Po cut her off.

"She seemed unwell this morning, and she can be a bit stubborn and will always insist there's nothing wrong. I just want the doctor to give her a check up, please." The pig nodded, and then she started asking general questions; name, age, date of birth, family's medical history... most she could answer.

"Tigress Ping..." The Pig made note as she wrote it down slowly. "It's an honor to have you Masters in our clinic. Don't worry, if the paparazzi show up, I'll see to it for you. Just sign here." She winked at Tigress as she signed the parchment, and gestured Po towards the seats. He went over to save her one, and as soon as Tigress finished, the pig rolled her eyes. "Ain't the only one with a worried man on my back sugar. Been there, and _still_ there." She said softly, holding up her hoof, to reveal a ring. "Nearly fifteen years now, and our love is still young looking to everyone." Tigress nodded, and turned on her heel towards the vacant seat beside her husband. It was still very early, so no one else was really there. One or two came in to collect remedies, which meant they had to sit briefly, but the talks they had with Po and Tigress didn't just last a small length of time, they were almost meaningless. At one point, a couple walked in. The woman, a white sheep, was obviously pregnant; she was waddling her way to the seats closest to Po and Tigress, as her partner, a black sheep, spoke to the pig.

"Greetings Masters," she tried to bow, but Po stopped her, afraid that the extra weight on her caused her to fall forward. She smiled gratefully and took a seat, holding her swollen stomach like she was carrying a heavy delivery package in her arms. "I hope all is well with you?"

"It is," Tigress replied. She rolled her eyes towards Po who was smiling behind her. "_Someone's_ just a _bit_ paranoid." The panda frowned at his wife, and because she was facing away from him, he was frowning at the back of her head. The sheep laughed.

"Well, that's what you call the _honey moon phase_ Master." She patted her stomach lightly. "Surely your only married a year or so, it shouldn't have gone sour already!" Po smiled again, but couldn't help but blush.

"We'll keep that in mind." He gestured to the sheep's stomach. "Congratulations." He said. "Is it your first?"

"Thank you Dragon Warrior. and no, our second." They both smiled, but inside grew a little bit of envy. "We have a little boy call Jojo; he's three and a half. We're hoping to have a little girl, and name her Lily." She smiled up at her husband when he gestured her away to the doctor's office. "The beginning of motherhood is starting over for me again... one of the best moments of my life..." She stood and began to walk away, but she paused, turned, and whispered. "Just you wait and see. When the time is chosen for you... the next stage of joy will begin." And she left them to sit alone in the awkward silence. Tigress stared at the four walls that closed them in, and Po stared down at the floor, his elbow digging into his knees as he leaned forward, playing a game he made up on the spot; See If They Missed Any Dirt On The Floor.

"Po," she was the first to talk. "There's something we..." she sighed and watched her paws latch together, "there's something we need to talk about..." He looked up at her, his head craned up to the side. Smiling up at her, he replied;

"And what would that-"

"Tigress and Po Ping?" They looked up to see the source of the interruption; Doctor Yang. He nodded to them, his floppy ears bouncing slightly. "Can you follow me please?" They both stood and as they followed him, Tigress whispered in his ears;

"I'll talk to you afterwards."

* * *

They followed him into his office; carefully organized, neat, spic, span, and ultra tidy. A desk sat in the very center, with a pot of ink bruises, scrolls, and parchments. Behind the table was a shelf with pictures, packages of antidotes, syrups, and a few minor check up instruments. A sick bay was a few feet away from the desk, consisting a bed, basin, cloths and water jugs behind a curtain. Behind the desk there were posters about _Patient Confidentiality, _and _Symptoms of the River Fever._

One chair was behind the desk, and one for the patients that came to see Doctor Yang, who was a rabbit; snowy white with a pink button nose, and multiple patches of black fur were placed on certain parts of his head, mainly the left side of his face. He wore the usual doctors attire; a white robe with the medical symbol delicately stitched on with a fine thread. "Take a seat." He quickly pulled a extra stool. "Who is here for the check up?" Tigress stepped forward and took her place on the chair, and Po parked himself on the stool. "Now," Doctor Yang took his own seat in front of them behind the desk. "What seems the problem?" Preferably, he looked up at Tigress for an explanation, but Po knew how she was going to respond.

"She didn't seem well this morning. I know it doesn't seem much, but I couldn't help it."

"Hmm..." Doctor Yang's paws gathered in a praying gesture as his eyes closed, before his fingers bounced of against the tips of the opposite paw simultaneously as he reopened his eyes to look at Tigress. She just raised a brow.

"Not what you'd expect from a kung fu master?"

She worded his expectations, and he had to nod. "Quite." He breathed out and leaned forward, his forearm lying in the desk. "Don't mistake me as 'thirsty'," sitting up again, he air-quotes 'thirsty'. "Being two kung fu masters that have gone through the wars, I was expecting more dangerous symptoms."

"But the simple things could mean something more sometimes right?" Po placed a paw on Tigress' back. "I know she seems fine to you. But she's my wife, and I know there's something up... Even though I'm no medical expert."

"I understand your concerns as a husband. I too am married." Dr Yang pulled out a chain with a wedding ring on it. "I wear it on a chain when I'm working, for hygiene reasons." They nodded as he tucked it back in under his robe. "And how do _you _feel Master Tigress?"

"Fine."

Doctor Yang nodded slowly. "Well, maybe we _should _check things over, for the sake of your sanity, as well as your husband's." Po frowned, and Tigress smiled a little, before standing, and made her way to the sick bay. Doctor Yang walked after her, gesturing Po to drag his chair over to see what his check up was like. Firstly, once she was seated, he began with pointing one fluffy finger in front of Tigress, asking for her to move her eyes wherever his finger went. She did so. "Clear." He checked her ears. "Clear." He checked her blood pressure. "Clear." He checked her heart rate. "Healthy..." He straightened up and stroked his chin pensively. "Only other thing I could do in the clinic to to check various points, like your muscle reflexes, and check your stomach for any abnormalities." Po looked at Tigress, and she nodded simply. "Now Tigress, just lie down, and try to relax." She nodded and closed her eyes slowly as he let out a big exhale. "Now... I need to unbutton your tunic, just at the bottom, so just relax..." He said this as he reached out and unbuttoned the last two on her tunic, and gently pulled back the cloth, to revealing her snowy white stomach. "Take a deep breath in for me." She did... and this made Po's head tilt and Dr Yang's brows raise; usually when you breathe in, your stomach would suck inwards... but in Tigress' case; it looked like she didn't suck in her stomach at all. "Hmm..." Dr Yang's ear pressed against her stomach lightly, while he gently massaged it. He happened to be facing Po as he did this, and when Tigress took her second round of breathing in... The bunny's eyes widened.

"Is..." Tigress' ear flattened across her head as she opened her eyes. "Is there something wrong?" She asked asked.

* * *

**Woo! Chapter 12 finally finished!**

**Hope you liked it everyone!**

**Tune into the next update! Please review and tell me what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Before reading this chapter, I'd like to take a moment of silence, to pray for those we lost in the world on Friday the 13th due to natural disasters, bombings, and terrorist attacks.**

**#PrayforPeace**

**...**

**#Prayforhope**

**May they rest in peace.**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"Looks who's back, Chang darling!" Xiǎo cooed as she handed the little primate to the feline. Looking down at him, Tigress tried to remember if he was ever able to sit in one paw. He was that small, and probably weighs a little more than a bag of sugar, which to her was obviously as light as a feather, and the little guy seemed to be doing great; he's seemed to have grown a little around the arms and stomach, though he was sneezing a little from time to time. His eyes were fully open this time, fixed on her immediately, as his tail poked out from the end. "Master Tigress came back for another visit!"

Chuckling at her tone, Tigress took the bottle, and offered it to the baby monkey, and he took it eagerly... after one or two sneezes. Ai was in Xiǎo's arms again, and wailing softly for another feed.

"He's sure missed you, but he met Master Monkey, and they seemed to get along really well!" And soon the feline found herself listening to Xiǎo talk about Monkey's encounter with Chang. How he held him gently, how he blew raspberries in hopes to make the baby giggle (with victory), and how he made the bottle seem like a bird trying to land in it's nest safely. "Of course, he wanted to see you too, and now he has!" The baby chattered happily, and she stared down at him, the the corners of her mouth pushing themselves up slowly, but her eyes couldn't match their speed... "Is everything alright Master Tigress?" Xiǎo seemed to notice. "I didn't bore you did I?"

Tigress turned to face the rabbit properly, but her gaze failed to keep with the plan, and stuck it's concentration to the floor. "I'm fine, and no, I loved to hear how Monkey and Chang got on..." She sighed. "I just have a few things on my mind... that's all." _One thing on my mind..._

"Need to talk about it? It's only you, me, the floorboards, and the babies. Not like they'll understand."

"No... it's fine." She watched Chang drink away to distract herself, and then pull the bottle away a when he made that scrunched up expression, before letting out another small sneeze. "Bless you!" Placing the bottle down slowly, she used her other arm to raise him up a bit closer for inspection, and she frown when he started to cough, which came out quiet in a room this big. "I think he's catching a cold..."

"We'll keep a close eye on him tonight, he'll be fine." Silence filled the room, apart from the sound Ai and Chang made while sucking on the bottle they were offered. "So... are you sure you don't want to talk about whatever is on your mind?"

"Yes... it's not that I have anything against you... it's something I need to discuss with Po... that's all."

"Ah... marriage a little rocky?" Tigress opened her mouth to speak, but only to close it again. "Everyone will go through that stage Master Tigress. Believe me! I'm around the same age as you... or close to it, and I got married very young... at first everything is magical... and then the pins begin to rip through the cloth... and prick him, and prod you, until things seem misty... but whatever is going on in your marriage, good or bad, talking will help this phase pass." Then she said something along the lines of 'I'll stop talking before I put you to sleep', and they sat in the one sound that filled the room, and Chang was held closer to her chest, even when he sneezed.

* * *

"So.. where _did_ you guys go this morning?" Crane asked as they sat down for lunch. Po was about to eat when he asked, and when Po paused, the noodles were just inches away from his tongue. Shifu, Viper, Monkey, and Mantis rose their head in unison, to hear the answer from him too. Po glanced at the empty space beside him, suddenly remembering that he was on his own in this one. Tigress volunteered to feed the infants again, e remember when one of the nurses approached them on the way, asking for the request... she was off like a shot, and by the Gods did he want to go as well. They needed to talk... big time.

"We just went for a walk, that's all." Po replied. He smiled at them as he took in the food awaiting for him to devour. "There's nothing wrong with that is there?"

"No of course not." Viper smiled. "We just awoke and you guys were gone."

"Plus you missed an awesome breakfast!" Monkey patted his stomach, and Viper's eyes rolled.

"Even though that's not important... you didn't seem to know where you were going..." Shifu pointed out. Po looked at his Master, where he noticed a small twitch in his eye and ears. "Is everything alright?"

"Well this _is_ a village I was never in before so..." He chuckled and took another bite. "Why wouldn't I not be?" He wasn't lying on that part; he actually didn't know where they were going to find their destination... it took them a good ten minutes to find the clinic, with the assistance of Po's instinct of 'I'm sure it's this way', and Tigress trying to remind him she had lived in the area for seven years of her life, and could see the clinic from her bedroom window, so you would obviously think that there was a bit of a disagreement between the pair. Of course, she was right. "I wanted to see more of the village. Nice little area. Very..." He couldn't think of a good word.

"Petite?" Viper suggested helpfully. "Dainty?"

He nodded as he scratched his neck. "Yeah, something like that..."

"What about Tigress?" Crane's chopsticks stirred slowly, round'n'round his bowl, taking half the noodle strands with it. "... How did it feel for her to walk down memory lane?"

Po shrugged. "She didn't say anything about it." _Maybe because she never really left her room at all, let alone leaving the orphanage grounds to go to the village... _

"Something must of made her seem unsettled." Monkey commented. "She didn't seem her best coming back. She was a bit... sketchy." They all nodded in agreement, while Po sat there... stuck on what to do or say next.

* * *

The day actually seemed to speed by, and before any of them knew it, it was night time. Po and Tigress haven't gotten a chance to sit and talk with one another since that morning. They were both busy around lunch time, and they both had it at separate times, ditto to dinner time. Right now, Tigress was with the oldest children, in a room not far from Mei Long's room, just like Sapphire said. The door was just down the hallway from this large, narrow room, where the only five teenagers inhabiting Bao Gou, sat on their beds, chatting about their day, and how boring the lessons were as always. When entering, Yuki and Yumi were sitting on the same bed, lying on their stomachs with their feet in the air. Jun was lying on his back at the foot of his bed, heading hanging freely off the edge as it rolled side to side. Lok had his head buried in a scroll, and Sapphire was staring up at the ceiling, until she caught sight of Tigress.

"Evening," Tigress greeted, holding up a tray. "Water?"

"Yes please." They all replied, and all sat up straight... apart from Jun, who felt light headed from the blood rushing through his head, and fell to the ground immediately.

"Ouch..."

He planted a heavy paw on his head as Tigress sat the tray on a stool, in the middle of the bed-free lane, and then walked down to help him up. "Are you alright?" She asked as Yumi got into the spare bed beside her sister. He gently pulled away from her, shook his head to kill the dizziness, before climbing onto his bed once more, before confirming he was okay in an embarrassed mumble. Smiling a little at him, she turned around, and mad her way back to the try with the glasses, and handed them out. When it came to Sapphire, she avoided eye contact, and moved onto the next child as quickly as she could. Sapphire raised a brow suspiciously, but said nothing about it. In fact, she said nothing until Lok got his glass. "Where were you this morning Master Tigress?" She said it so innocently, it made Tigress feel sick to the pit of her stomach. "We didn't see you at breakfast this morning, or the Dragon Warrior."

She forced herself to look at the cub. "Nowhere special." She replied, as casual as she could. "Just the markets..." Tigress expected them to roll their eyes, and complain the fact they didn't go fight any bandits, but instead, their eye's brightened and they smiled.

"Lucky! We wish we went to the markets! Did you see anything nice?"

"One or two little things... just trinkets.

Yuki twiddled her thumbs as she sighed. "The Matrons _never _let us leave the grounds. It's not like we're going to steal anything!"

"Yeah!" Lok fixed his glasses. "I understand the majority of orphans tend to steal, but we like to help the Nurse's when buying their supplies."

Yumi nodded, "he's right... we've offered to go and help day in and day out,- but _no._" She then sprang up and hunched her shoulders, her facial expression scrunching up until it looked almost worn with time. "You kids can't go! You must stay her where your safe, and can't cause mischief." Tigress paid close attention to he wolf's expression, before grinning, realizing who she was pretending to be.

"But Sister _Mei_," Jun pretended to whine with a childish voice, eyes looking at Tigress to see if sh recognized. "We are only going to help the Nurses with their supplies!"

Tigress continued to grin, before shaking her head. "Your doing her voice wrong Yumi. It's along the lines of this..." and then without warning, they all jumped and turned when Tigress began talking again, only in a older, and more croakier voice. "I'm doing this for your safety child! Disobey and I get out my cane!" Soon, Jun, Lok, Yuki, and Yumi were on the floor laughing their heads off, while Sapphire was in a fit of stifled giggles on her bed.

"Did she threaten you with the cane too?" Jun asked, briefly pausing in laughter.

"Oh yes!" Tigress coughed, forgetting she was still speaking in her impression of Mei. "All the time! But I wasn't the only one..." She then frowned. "At least, that's what I always thought."

"As in now?" Yuki and Yumi sat themselves up in unison. "Or the past?"

"...both?"

Lok shrugged. "Sure she still does it now! I guess she will threaten us all with the cane until the end of her days..." he chuckled. "Which looks like they won't end any time _soon_."

"Umhm." Tigress couldn't help but agree. "The dispiteful ones live the longest."

"Amen!" Jun, Lok, Sapphire, Yuki, and Yumi claimed in unison, before clasping their paws over their mouths. Tigress copied, but did it slowly, and half covered her mouth with her index and middle fingers lightly touching them.

Footsteps were making their way down the hall, and before she knew it the four teenagers threw themselves into the meditation position on the floor, _just _as Mei came crawling in. "Oh! There you are Master Tigress!" The feline turned to see Mei standing in the doorway, holding a lantern in hand. "Your husband was looking for you... ummm..." She raised a brow as Jun, Lok, Sapphire, Yuki, and Yumi bowed in their lotus position, and jumped to their feet, greeting the old Matron. "Everything alright in here?"

"Quite peachy Sister Mei." Yuki said sweetly. "Tigress was just telling us about her trip to the market's this morning."

"Market's huh?" Mei eyed the feline when their eyes met. "I thought you went for a walk."

"I did." Tigress replied smoothly. "It didn't do any harm for me and Po going to the market's either was it?"

Mei looked like she wasn't convinced, but shook her head. "Of course not, I just didn't get that part of the information." Tigress turned back to the kids as she rolled her eyes, pulling herself up to stand. "As I was saying, Po is looking for you."

"Lead the way..." She turned and winked at Jun, Lok, Sapphire, Yuki, and Yumi, who tried not to laugh when Mei started going down the hall, the light of the lantern slowly shrinking. "Goodnight kids."

They all smiled back at her. "Night Master Tigress."

* * *

"Mei... I'd like to make a small request." Tigress finally said as the two joined together down the dark hallway. Mei's walk was slower than a turtle, and for Tigress, who was used to a faster form of stroll, or brisk walk, she forced herself not to go far ahead.

"And what would that be?" Mei questioned, hoisting the lantern high enough to catch the feline's face.

Tigress took one step further, and took hold of the lantern. Suddenly feeling uneasy, she hesitated. "I was wondering... if I could take Jun, Lok, Sapphire, Yuki, and Yumi out tomorrow."

"Out?" Mei raised a brow up to the feline, but she still continued on forward. "Out where?"

She hesitated the second time. "...the markets?" Mei paused, and so did she simultaneously. "Just for an hour or so..." The goat slowly turned, and looked up to the striped cat.

"And why make such a request my dear?"

_Why actually? _Tigress asked herself. _Any particular reason? _"No particular reason at all Mei... it's just they tell me they've offered the Nurse's to help them with their trips to the markets. It's almost like their..." her arms folded gently across the part of her chest where her ribs ended. "It's almost like... their trapped here. Being denied their right to roam where they wish to go..." She felt Mei's frown on her frame...

"Alright." _What?_ "You can take them out, but _only _for an hour." Tigress could _only _turn to her slowly. "What?"

Tigress shakily laughed. "Are you not going to argue against me?"

"Why would I do that?" Mei smiled. "I think this will help you bond with them..." Her smiled slowly faded. "Considering you... knew how it felt to be trapped." Tigress' claws came out, but she balled her paws into fists behind her back, hoping she didn't say anything. "These children were in the same situation you were Tigress... left at the door steps by their parents, and in Yuki and Yumi's case, they had each other the whole time. For a while... no adult ever shared that 'trapped' feeling... but you can. This will be a help to them. Your a model to orphans everywhere..." They both turned to sound of someone calling Tigress, where they saw a familiar black and white panda at the end of the hall, waving at them, which made Mei quickly continue after Tigress signaled him to give them a few more seconds. "My point is, _do _take the children out, _share _what you told me with them. What I meant about being a model... you are a golden example of what an orphan can achieve in life, if they could set their mind, and dedication to it. You didn't _have _to work with Shifu to control your strength! You could've easily said no and refuse to take part. But you stuck to it and look where it took you! It took you to becoming one of the most well know, respected warriors of China!" She took the lantern back as she whispered her final sentence. "They need the motivation Master Tigress... _be _their inspiration."

And with a swift puff, the lantern went out, and Mei Long materialized into the dark.

* * *

**_Finally!_**

**About time I got this story updated!**

**Hope you guys like it!**

**Let me know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Calliginous times has been updated! Be sure to check it out!**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Opening the door this time, he wasn't there to welcome her into an embrace. Instead, when she opened the door slowly, with one paw pushing it by the handle, and the other pushing against the doors surface, she edged her way into the semi lit room, slowly materializing into the glow, carrying herself out of the darkness that fogged the hallways outside since Mei extinguished their only source of light out there. At least... _At least she said yes to her request... r__ight? _Her gaze remained casted to the floor until she was halfway in, when she looked up, to find Po, sitting with a slouch on the bed, eyes fixed on her every move. Her teeth slowly sank into her bottom lip as they kept the eye contact going for a second or two, almost like they were having one of their little staring contests... this time, if one lost (which was always him), or happened to be caught of guard by a certain simple gesture of affection, wasn't the best thing to do to past the silence. This time...

She lost.

With a silent sigh, she dragged herself out of the frozen stance, and took her time closing the door. Once it closed with a small click, she leaned against it, and rolled herself over until she was staring back at his focused gaze, with some support on her back.

This evening's events, including her small talk with Mei, and small joys with Sapphire and the others, had vanquished from her mind. This _morning's _events? They were spindling around her head, and nothing was going to stop it. His gaze was making her feel a little uneasy, and the silence was almost complete... or was it her mind that was inventing a sound for the flicker of the few candles that gave salvation from the dark?

He got up slowly, and the bed creaked a little, and her ears flattened when he whispered her name.

_"Master Tigress... nothing is wrong, I promise you that... it's far from that... in a good way!"_

"Ti."

_"Then what's going on?" Po asked as he looked up at Tigress. She could do so much as mirror his expression as she fixed her shirt, before they watched Dr. Yang clamp his fingers together tightly._

Her eyes remained to the floor, playing the same game Po played in the clinic; See If They Missed Any Dirt On The Floor.

_The tightness his digits were latched into created a space for only the heels of his palms could connect. "I can't find the words to say it..." His eyes looked up to the confused Masters... _

Just as she ran into his chest. Her head was buried into his fur, breathing in the scent she learned to love over time.

_"Firstly, all I can say is nothing, but my wishes for the future... of your family, and Kung Fu."_

"Talk to me." His voice... "Please..." It didn't have the spice to it in that moment. Whenever he said her name, it sent a chill up her spine, and it made her fur stand on one end when he would whisper lovingly in her ear after a moment or two into the embrace; everything he loved about her; the little things... and big things. He didn't sound angry (since when did he ever get angry?), nor upset... or not... not entirely. Her eyes closed as she took another inhale.

Po felt the urge to say more, but his heart was telling him... _pleading_ not to say anymore, and ended up not doing so, because he stiffened slightly when his paws found their way to her shoulders, only to find them shaking a little. "Come on, we'll sit." He practically carried her over to the bed, her feet barely giving support to her almost limp-like frame.

_"Congratulation__s Masters..." _They sat in unison. _"The God's have granted you both with a joyful gift..." _He slowly peeled her away from his chest. _"To us all." _To meet with her eyes... welled with tears?

"Ti?" Tigress shut her eyes and turned away, trying to get out of the tight embrace Po had her wrapped in. Hesitating a little, he tightened his grip, but she broke free and her body fully away from him. His reaction to this was quicker than her escape; before she took a chance to take a single breath, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, grunting slightly with the effort he put in when she tried to wriggle free.

"Let me go!" She whispered.

"Then _talk _to me!" Tigress stopped fighting to get out of her husband's embrace, and waited tensely as he let go. Running her fingers quickly over her eyes, she turned slowly, and looked at him as she took another seat again. "Thank you..." His hands held one another, and both their eyes fell to them when he began to twiddle his thumbs. "So..." Silence. "What's going through your head?" He reached out for her paw, but it slowly slid away from his reach, and at her side. She took a small, quiet inhale though the nostrils, and back out again.

"I'm sorry."

He gave her a small smile. "For what?"

"For not knowing how to _comprehend_." She gave a tiny laugh of her own, but tears were threatening to escape her eyes. "I mean... how can I believe that I have something that's a real miracle?"

Po frowned a little. "I think it's... more, than just that..." Like the first night they got there, he knelt by the bed and held onto her paws. "Aren't... aren't you _happy, _that we're finally gonna start a family?"

Her ears flattened when he said the word 'finally', as she gently squeeze his paws. "Of course I am..." She leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. "I... I can't wait." He wanted to hear those words... but not in the way she hushed them.

"Then what's wrong?"

Her eyes closed slowly. "I'm... I'm concerned, okay?" She pulled her head back sharply. "I'm afraid I'm going to fail this child." She pulled her paws away from him and stood upright, and moved swiftly to the window. The moon was high above them, not a single cloud in sight as the atmosphere stood in a threatening silence. "Shifu never prepared me for this challenge. Never prepared me for this fight, not against anyone... but my own thoughts. This baby... I want it..." Her arms rested on the sill as she turned her palms to face her slowly. Po watched from the bed, waiting for the right time to move. "I want it to have the best life we can give." She allowed her paws go limp. "I want to protect it, and give it the love I never got as a child..." She bowed her head, trailing her eyes along the sill, until she was looking at the dark outside. "I just don't want to fail that duty..."

She wasn't expecting Po to suddenly wrap around her, breathing in heavily and letting his warm breath crawl on her neck. "You won't Ti." He whispered. "I believe you will be the best mom ever!" He held her by the shoulders, and turned her around. "I'll be right by your side, every step of the way. Together, this baby will grow up with wonderful uncles and auntie, and two amazing grand-father's. Most important of all, it's going to have _you and me, _the most dedicated, loving, down-to-earth mom and dad anyone has ever known, who will love and protect him or her at all costs." He cupped her cheek and kissed her gently. "You're not gonna fail Tigress, and believe me when I say so."

Her paw reached out to caress his cheek, as she looked to the floor quickly, smiling as she placed a paw on her stomach. She chuckled softly. "How in the world did I ever fall in love with someone like you? A complete contrast to my personality and being?"

He laughed too, happy to see her smiling and positively contemplating her life choices. "What can I say, I just have that charm." She laughed to as she threw her arms around his neck, and their foreheads touched. "You know..." His arms found their way around her waist, and they both instantly swayed in time with nothing in particular. "This is like our wedding dance. The music played, we stared into each others eyes... my cheeks were stiff for four days straight 'cos I wouldn't stop smiling at you... and what song played as we danced? And I sang along to it softly? Oh yes..." She grinned softly as his voice began to tickle the inside of her ear. _"__I swear, by the moon and the stars in the sky, I'll be there... I swear, Like a shadow that's by your side, I'll be there..." _Their eyes met as they sang softly together in slow, sweet unison, as Po scooped her up, and carried her over to the bed.

_"__For better or worse, t__ill death do us part, __I'll love you with every beat of my heart... __I swear..."_

"I love you Po," she whispered as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"I love you too Ti, and little junior us." They shared one more kiss, before slowly drifting off to sleep...

**BANG BANG BANG!**

Po woke with a start, finding himself lying behind Tigress, one arm wrapped around her protectively. It was pitch black, and he had a weird feeling dwelling inside him.

"What's going on?" Tigress asked sleepily as she rose up slowly, letting his arm slip off her frame.

"It's the door," Po yawned as he dragged himself out of bed. The knocking continued in quick rasps. "Hang on," he said with another yawn. "Coming." He finally made it and opened the door. "Mantis?" He sighed as Tigress rolled her eyes, falling back onto the pillow in annoyance. "What gives?"

"Tigress needs to come with me right away. It's urgent."

"What?" Tigress sat up right again. "What's going on?" He got up this time, and went to the door, looking at Mantis as he leapt onto Po's shoulder. "Why am I needed?" Mantis looked tired as well. He's eyes were a little red, which she had no proper theory for, but she knew by his look it was something serious. But compared to his verbal response, it was nothing.

"It's baby Chang."

* * *

**Damn I really need to start updating quicker again XD Sorry it's been ages everyone! Just with school and everything Xp but hey! CHRISTMAS IS COMING! Hope you like this chapter you guys! I'll make sure I update quicker over the holidays! I'm finished my exams now so I'll be able to work more! **

**So what's gonna happen next? Do any of you have an idea? Let me know in your reviews!**

**Ciao!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Po didn't have a chance to question. As soon as the bug finished his sentence, Tigress was up and out of the room, zooming down the hall, and not stopping until she almost slid past the door. She nearly pulled a chuck out of the wall as she held herself against it, trying to gain self control, but she froze at the sight of a doctor hovering over a cot, with Xiǎo, a fellow nurse Tigress had merely spoken with before, and Monkey, wringing his hands over one another, nibbling on his lips shakily. Xiǎo and her fellow worker looked up at her sharply, almost with a frown of annoyance, until they realized who it was.

"Master Tigress!" Xiǎo held her paws together as walked towards the feline. "You made it."

"What's going on?" Tigress demanded hastily, walking into the room as Po caught up with her. "Where's Chang?" Silence rained immediately. All the cots were gone but one, and the room felt large and empty from any cries, let alone bodies and the furniture, that once made the room so crowded. The doctor had long stopped inspecting one in particular, and stepped away just as Monkey jumped up and dashed for it. Tigress didn't need to ask anymore, because Monkey was staring down into the cot in a painful silence. Watching him tentatively, Tigress quietly made her way up to him, and waited for him to feel her presence at a closer range, before he moved back a bit, for her to look herself;

Chang lay still in the only cot left in the room. His was were closed, and his body was limp; his arms were outstretched as he lay on his back, his delicate elbows bent to frame his head, that faced the wooden bars of the bed. His chest rose and fell slowly, and very little sound or movement was heard or seen from him. Tigress raised a paw uncertainly, and, after inhaling quietly, she reached down towards his enclosed hand her finger settled top of his hand, but the little monkey didn't flinch. He didn't hold onto her finger like he did the first time she met him...

Not even a flick was seen in his tail... the one that curled around her wrist for security. "What..." Tigress' head swiftly turned to Xiǎo and the other nurse. "What's wrong with him..."

"He..." Xiǎo took a tissue out of her apron pocket, and dabbed her eyes. "He wouldn't stop sneezing, while Monkey was giving him his nightly feed, and we called the doctor..."

"I diagnosed Chang with Pneumonia just there, before you and the Dragon Warrior came." Said the doctor, holding his paws together slowly. Po was still at the doorway, and he had his paw up at his mouth as he and Tigress' eyes connected briefly. She gently pulled away from Chang's limp paw, and gripped onto the bars of the cot tightly. Her lips curled up slowly as she stared down at him.

"We called for you because we were aware of how you and Monkey were with little Chang... and in case he didn't make it..." Xiǎo walked up to her, and looked down at Chang. "At least he'll have those he enjoyed being with the most with him..." She looked up at Po. "Dragon Warrior, can you wait outside with us please?" Po, who still hadn't found any words to speak at all, he just nodded, looking at Tigress worriedly as he backed away from the door to let the doctor and nurses walk out, shutting the door behind them.

Tigress stood and stared at the closed door, trying to grasp her head around what was going on. She covered her mouth to stop herself from shouting as she stared down at Chang, as then away from him in anger, "I named him Chang for a reason." She said aloud, feeling Monkey's eyes on her slowly. "He had been through so much- losing his mother, his father not being in the picture, being born so frail and small..." How could she be hardcore at a time like this? Firstly, finding out she was with child... a _miracle _child, and knowing that with Po's help, she will be the best parent she can portray... but now losing Chang... it's like she's losing one of her own.

"I know you did... and I'm glad you did." Monkey gave a saddened chuckle. "It suits him..." He reached down, and held onto a limp hand. "Funny within the short time we were here... we both grew attached to this little guy... for me so attached... I wanted to take him home with us... after all this is over." Tigress felt her heart twist, and a lump growing in her throat. "I..." he nearly choked on a sob. "I wanted to call him my son... even though I'd be a useless dad, 'cos I'm the last person to come to about babies... I'd be proud to call such a ray of light... my own."

Tigress turned her head away, shutting her eyes, and trying to get her breath back. Chang's eyes stood in the darkness of her surroundings, and his happy chattering filled her ears. "And I'd..." Monkey looked up at her, to see something he thought he'd never see... a tear rolling down her cheek. "I'd be proud to call that ray of light... my nephew." She still had her face turned away from him so she couldn't see him smiling at her, and he knew she hated to show her emotions most of the time, but he didn't care...

...

"Say_ something, I'm giving up on you," _Tigress froze. "_I'll be the one if you want me to..." _slowly turning, she saw Monkey, tearing still pouring down his cheeks, staring down at Chang. "_Anywhere I would've followed you..." _She looked down at Chang again. "Say _something, I'm giving up on you..." _He broke down after whispering the verse, using his arm to shield his eyes.

...

_"And I..."_ It was his turn to stop where he was, _"am__ feeling so small... __It was over my head..." _She looks back at him. "_I know nothing at all..." _He looked at her questioningly. "_And I... I stumble and fall," _she looked down at her ring. _"__I'm still learning to love... j__ust starting to crawl..."_

_"And I..." _they whispered in harmony. _"Wi__ll__ swallow my pride..." _Their eyes casted down to Chang. _"You're the one that I love... a__nd I'm saying goodbye..." _His breathing was starting to become more shallow, and as they both held onto each of his hands, they felt him trying to hold onto them the best he could. _"__Say something, I'm giving up on you... an__d I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you..." _The tears rolled down Tigress' cheeks as she tried to hold on, but Monkey's sobs were starting to grow louder.

_"And anywhere I would've followed you..."_ Po held his head in his paws as he found himself sitting on the floor, wishing he didn't hear his friend... and his wife's grief, as he watched Viper, Mantis, Crane, and Shifu rush down the hall towards him. "_Oh-Ooh!" _Xiǎo was standing against the wall, her face turned away to shed the tears she didn't want any of them to see. _He's gone... _she kept thinking.

_"Say something, I'm giving up on you!" _Silence filled the room. _"__Say something, I'm giving up on you..." _They slowly began to pull away. _"__Say something..." _Something stopped them letting go completely. The gentle tugging they felt on their finger tips... eyes opening... Monkey wiped his tears away, as he whispered shakily, in unison with Tigress. "Chang?" The little primate looked up at them tiredly, slowly blinked...

And mewled.

* * *

**Sorry the chapter was really short you guys! I felt I left you waiting for too long, and I really don't want y'all waiting ages until my next update! Hope you enjoyed it! I wanted to make it emotional... but I'm not sure if it went as I wanted it to be... what do you think?**

**Let me know in your reviews!**

**Chapter 16 coming asap!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Ti?" She felt someone shake her shoulder lightly. "Ti? Come on Ti, wakey wakey." Her eyes opened slowly, to see Po staring down at her with a smile. "Hey... getting up anytime soon? Last time I checked sleeping on cold stone floors doesn't do good for your back..." He laughed softly as she sat up with his assistance, and was about to rub her eyes, when she saw the cot in front of her. She was about to spring to her feet and run for it, but Po held her back down.

"Chang- I forgot to-"

"Easy... easy." He pointed to their left, where Monkey was sitting with Viper, Mantis and Crane, holding a familiar bundle in his arms, looking almost as tired as Tigress was, and the sudden jitters inside of her immediately died when all four looked at her simultaneously. "He's over there."

"Morning..." Viper whispered, as Mantis looked back down at Chang. "He's doing just fine." Tigress sighed with relief, and slowly fell back, until she felt against Po, whose arm went around her, embracing her with warmth. "Wanna hold him?" She nodded, and Monkey crawled over to her, giving the little monkey the occasional shush, and whispering that Tigress was going to say hello, and something she couldn't catch onto. She held him close as soon as he was in her arms. He looked up at first in total silence, and when she smiled at him, that was when the joyful cry came out for the first time.

It was an eventful night; and as you can see, through it all, Chang managed to pull through it, and they never left his side. Whenever he cried, they were up sharpish like it was the first time he cried before they thought to see the worst. They watched him sleep, they took turns to watch him until they both obviously soon fell asleep themselves... and obviously late, because there was still one breakfast tray full of food, while another, obviously Monkey's, was bare. The sun seeped through the window silently, casting light a specks of dust fluttering about the air as Crane picked up Tigress' breakfast tray. "The doctor came in while you were still sleeping, and gave him some medicine. He's gonna make it."

"Thank the gods..." Tigress whispered breathlessly, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling, and then at Po, who smiled down at her as their heads touched, then she felt the little primate tug as her fingers, that he had slowly dangling over him. "Let's hope everything remains that way..." Po straightened up a little to get a better look of the baby, and he couldn't stop smiling while being passed the tray.

"He's so cute." He said, as the others nodded in harmony. He picked up some food with the chopsticks, and feed Tigress. "He's gonna make a couple very happy..." Viper, Crane, and Mantis looked up at Po with a look of hope and need for a different answer... one they wanted to hear. He shook his head slowly, but with a smile they couldn't understand.

"He already has made someone very happy." Shifu and Mei came into the room as they all picked up on the remark, holding many scrolls in their arms. "I couldn't help but interrupt." Monkey said something along the lines of him not needing to apologize, as his tail wrapped around his crouched frame. Shifu edged closer, Mei Long not far behind. "At least all nerves are calmer," he continued while staring down at the baby gazing up at Tigress' fingers as he caught them with determination. "And Chang is feeling better for his journey."

"Journey?" Viper questioned with a spark of interest, glancing at Po and Tigress briefly. "What journey?"

"Your stay in Bao Gou is drawing to a close I'm afraid." Mei announced, lifting her arms so their eyes would follow and see the scrolls again. Tigress twisted her head, and Chang started whimpering for her attention. "I just received all these scrolls this morning. We have enough sponsors to save the Orphanage! They will all arrive on the same day the landlord is, to visit the children, talk to the Landlord, and then give their donation."

Tigress smiled as Chang caught her fingers again. "That's wonderful Mei-"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Crane flailed his wings about, immediately silencing her. "Let's not change the subject so quickly!"

Mei smiled as innocent as she could paint it. "I'm not changing it. I was going to also add that when you leave..." Chang cooed as she gestured at him, only because Tigress looked down at him, along with Monkey who hovered slightly. "He's going with you." Everyone stared at Mei. They stared at Shifu, who nodded to prove she wasn't joking... and then they slowly turned to Po and Tigress, who raised their eyebrows together as Chang looked around at the silence, frowning a little.

"What?" Tigress asked in both question, and in shock, looking down at Chang widely. The scenario of her even thinking of taking this little primate home has crossed her mind, but mainly through what Monkey had said to her.

"He's coming with us... that means... someone adopted him?" Viper asked.

Po then looked at Tigress, and she shook her head as Chang grabbed her fingers suddenly. "Not us." She replied in confusion. "I'd remember if I wanted to adopt him I'd talk to Po first."

Monkey stood up tall, and cleared his throat "I am." The questions took their time to fly at him, but once they started, they clumped together with the speed; _Since when? How long have you been thinking this? Why have we been not informed this? Who else has been told this? _"Only since I started spending time with him, I never wanted to let him go..." He looked at Tigress with a weak smile. "I was worried, after finding out you named him, that you were gonna adopt him... but that would mean I could love him as a nephew, which wouldn't shade my love for him, but I wanted him as my son... I've spoken to Master Shifu, and he has agreed to let me do so, and it won't stop me from doing Kung Fu. I will be just training at a different time than you all for a while... until he's a little older." He looked down at Chang, as he crouched down beside Tigress, smiling down at Chang, who stared up at him with big, curious eyes. "I can't leave here without him."

They all beamed in silence, reflecting off one another like a domino effect. "We're proud of you buddy." Po said as he helped Tigress up with him. "And we'll be there to help you every step of the way." Monkey nodded with a grateful glow, before turning to Mei as Tigress gave him his newly claimed son.

"When is the Landlord coming?" He asked, rocking Chang back and forth.

"Within two or three days, he's not entirely sure yet." She replied swiftly. placing the many scrolls by the door in a neat pile. "I have been thinking... that the children should help along with the Nurses and myself to welcome him, and the other Masters warmly with... a small little event of some sort. I wouldn't call it a festival or a fun day, just a little thank you for all their sponsors... and your support and help over the past few days as well, of course."

Viper beamed as she straightened up from pulling a funny face at Chang to make him laugh, acting like she was always engaged into it while she was actually half sitting into the conversation. "Like a ceremony of some sort?" She only zoned in at the word 'event'.

"Yes," Mei smiled back. "Each age group can do something, and then together, they all give a small, DIY token of gratitude to the Masters. Perhaps, you can help out? I'll try and get the supplies if I can. Some of the villagers around these parts drop in small donations, I'm sure using a few yuan wouldn't hurt."

"Of course," Po hoisted himself and Tigress up, before Tigress snapped her fingers together.

"How about, you send word out that adoptions will be available on the same day once it's been decided? People would want to see what interests the children have in." They all turned to her, all knowing where this going. "So they can get to know the children, and possibly adopt them?"

_"Brilliant!" _Mei Long called for a nurse. "Go send word for the upcoming event." She ordered. "Invite all the neighboring villages of what is happening."

"Good job Ti," Po whispered softly in her ear.

She smiled at him and kissed him before pulling away. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go to the village..." Mei watched her while she said this, and her eyes followed her out of the room, while quickly whispering to her to meet her in her office. "Be back in an hour." She walked down the hall with the fluttering feeling inside of her again. Not only was Chang okay, and that he was going to come live with them, but the fact that she and Mei were getting along after such a shady past, and a long depart, it felt strange...

But in a good way.

* * *

**Hope you liked this chapter everybody! Please, please, _please _****leave a review! I love getting your responses to each chapter! Brightens my day knowing I'm doing something productive XD**

**So Chang is okay! What do you think of Monkey adopting him? How do you think it will turn out? And what will happen when the Landlord and Masters arrive to the planned event? What do you think will happen? Let me know in your reviews!**

**Ciao!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

There wasn't a long duration she had to wait for, until she saw Mei finally making her way down the hall towards her, gesturing her to open the door tiredly. With a brief nod, Tigress opened the door and headed on inside, greeted by a much brighter room than the dark one they first came to on their first night here. She could see the pictures that hung on the wall; mainly traditional oriental art, but there were various pictures of Mei, and some of the nurses with orphans, as professional as possible. The tea set sat by the window, amongst little crafted treasures, probably from the foundlings.

The old goat waddled behind her desk, and before Tigress could breathe, she disappeared out of sight, and the sound of things being pushed about in the drawers soon met Tigress' ears. "It's nice to have the sun smiling on us today isn't it? Now that we _all_ have a reason to smile back." Mei began humming as she continued searching for whatever she was getting. "With the situations of getting enough Sponsors, Chang getting better, and getting _adopted_... happy days!" Tigress grinned a little at this, folding her arms as she felt the sun rays climbing up her frame. "So what do you need me for Mei Long?" Tigress asked first.

"I want to donate something small, if the children find something that sparks their interest." Tigress opened her mouth to protest. "I know it's your treat to them, but I'd like to help. You're not to spend a fortune on them if they coax you into it."

The feline merely chuckled. "Who said I was so easy to persuade?"

Mei shared the same chuckle, and gently tossed her a small bag. "Those children have little tricks of their own.

Tigress opened to find nearly 70 yuan inside. "Mei... that's too much!" She extended her paw that held the money. "You'll need it to-"

"Oh tish tosh," the old goat interrupted. "Those kids barely get anything. They're good at heart, but the villagers tend to forget they are here, as they only send money for the younger children, which is cruel in it's own ways. Treat them out for something to eat as well, or something _really _special. I want them to know that they are cared for, and always in mind... speaking _of..._" she lifted a box out from behind the desk, and instead of tossing it, she gently placed it on the desk, and pushed it towards the feline, slowly peeling her grasp off of it as Tigress' eyes fell towards it at the same speed. "...I want you to give this to Sapphire." She gestured her to take it as Tigress gave her a mixing look of consent and question. Putting the money into her pocket, Tigress reached out for the weathered down box, and examined it;

It was small, with specks of pink, blue, and purple, and the faded words _'Wǒmen de bǎoshí'_ carved into the lid delicately. She slowly opened the lid; to find a necklace. A simple heart shaped locket, with the symbol of a dragon imprinted on the front, settled beside a small scroll, and a picture, which she didn't dare turn over to see what was on it. Her eyes switched to the faded, a single two lined segment of gold writing in front of her on the inside of the lid, followed by another, but with silver writing, which obviously wasn't there before, and only added on last minute;

_"With love, to our darling Gem,  
Whom fills our hearts with rapture._

_Never forget our love is unconditional,  
__Even if we are in a duration of departure...  
_

... love Mama and Papa." Tigress whispered breathlessly, before closing her eyes as the lid was shut gently.

Mei smiled. "The box was found when she was left on the doorstep of the orphanage, and I feel that it will mean a lot to her to get this now, as we got a note with the box to give it to her when was old enough to understand..." the goat's face fell slightly, as if she was recalling the time in her own pace, as she suddenly had a bag in hand, "and it's better for her to get it from someone who has the same experience of being an orphan." Tigress reopened her eyes, and held the box closer to her, signifying to Mei Long that she took on the mission. "And forget only taking them out for an hour- make it two if you like." Tigress nodded, and as she handed over the bag and waved her off, Mei suddenly said; "Congratulations on the news of the baby by the way." Tigress felt her whole body freeze, before her head slowly turned to Mei.

"What?" She could only ask.

Mei smiled to stand with the chuckle. "I think you have forgotten what I mentioned to you the night you arrived. I could hear conversations going past the doors, and you wouldn't think I was ever there." Tigress' eyes widened slightly, but Mei gave her a wink and a crooked smile. "Don't worry." She said softly, as Tigress began to calm down, and smile a little too. "I won't tell a soul..."

* * *

She was greeted by Sapphire and the other teenagers as soon as she stepped into their room. They had smiles on their faces, and echoed her arrival... almost anxiously.

"Is everything okay Master Tigress?" Yumi asked worriedly. "We heard about Baby Chang, and that you and Master Monkey were worried sick about him!"

Tigress smiled and ruffled the top of the girls head affectionately. "He's fine, and everything's okay." They all smiled at her. All but Sapphire, who merely managed to roll her eyes without sensing Tigress' observing gaze. "Now, there is more to my reason coming here to find you all." They raised brows curiously.

"There is?" Lok asked.

Tigress nodded. "Indeed." She dusted off her tunic casually before announcing. "We're going out."

"Where?" Jun asked as Lok turned to look at him. He was about to pounce on him while he was reading a scroll. Once Jun realized what he did, and that Lok sussed out what he was gonna do, he chuckled sheepishly and backed away from Lok's death glare.

"I had a few words with Mei about taking you to the village for an hour or two." They all gasped. "It's not much, but it beats seating in here all the time-"

"It _is _much Master Tigress!" Yuki declared, jumping for her, and wrapping herself around Tigress' waist. "Mei is really letting us?! Oh my gosh!"

"You better not be joking!" Jun said uncertainly, sharing the same look at Sapphire as she straightened her posture, putting her weight on her knees. He then turned to Lok, who seemed to still try and grasp what Tigress was saying, though it was plain and clear what she meant. "Is she joking?"

Tigress, at first could only smile at him, while Sapphire continued to eye her suspiciously. "I'm a Kung Fu Master, I tend to never joke around. Have I ever? Not really..." Their eyes widened a little. "As for now... no." The corners of her lips fell a little while she spoke, with a similar, stern and cold face like Mei had always given in the past, but once the teenagers began looking at one another almost wildly, they quirked back up again swiftly.

"So..." Jun's eyes fell back onto her, "...so you're being serious?" They all leapt and looked under their beds as Tigress took her turn to look questioningly, but when they pulled out what she assumed were piggy banks (not sure how they'd need money, but it wasn't on the agenda right now).

"Hold up, what are you doing? I'm taking you out..." She carefully took out the money bag out of her pocket, and the bag slung over her shoulder snugly. Shaking the bag before they could question, her smile grew at the sound of the money leaping about within the fabric, while the writing in the box echoed inside her head. "My treat."

* * *

They were greeted by many friendly faces in the village square fifteen minutes later. Tigress latched one paw onto the satchel securely, as Sapphire, Yuki, Yumi, Jun, and Lok tied the black hooded cloaks Mei requested them to wear, to the same extent she had on the bag, their eyes wandering each of the stalls that came into sight. The market was full of color, and these cloaks would identify the four if they were ever to part with Tigress.

As well as the colors, new smells and new sounds came to them. There was endless chattering, laughter, and announcements of the deals that awaited them. Their eyes danced wildly at everything, and it brought a small smile to Tigress' face. She had been to the markets many times, and never in her life, had she ever seen five faces light up so bright... and she kept getting that fluttering feeling in her chest again, just like she did with Chang. "Where would you like to check first?" Tigress asked, stopping to look around. They stopped with her, still looking around themselves. "Or, we can make it easier for me; what _do_ you like?"

"Scrolls," Lok said with a small blush. "Ones that have interesting plot twists... or stationary!"

"Sparkly things!" Yuki and Yumi sang in unison. "Like trinkets!"

"Weapons!" Jun said, but when he saw Tigress raising a brow to him very slowly, then chuckled. "Of... of art... Calligraphy and such."

Tigress raised a brow slowly. "Really now... alright." She nodded at Lok and the twins at their choices, and then turned to Sapphire. "What about you Sapphire?" She asked softly. The feline's ears flicked once or twice, before looking around again, and then back at her.

"Like Yuki and Yumi..." she said casually, eyes not meeting Tigress'. "Sparkly stuff..."

"But Saph," Jun asked with a frown. "We all know you like-"

_"Sparkly things," _Sapphire said with a hiss.

Tigress smiled a little. "I'm not convinced kiddo," but she began walking even so, and they followed her like a clingy flock of sheep, while taking in everything around them. Villagers took notice of Tigress, and often stopped with many blessings, which she smiled and thanked for every time. Some even noticed the orphans by her, and questioned, almost in a vexed tone, why they were following the feline, and not to pestering, saying something along the lines of 'she has duties to take care of' and seemingly spoke for her that she doesn't have time for pests. Lok about about to speak in their defense, but Tigress stood in front. "Actually they are no bother." She replied sternly. "They, as a matter of fact, are with _me_. Now if you please..." then came the sincere apologies, both to the Master, and the orphans, before they sped off.

"What's with all their problems?"Yuki asked uncertainly, with one paw holding onto her opposite wrist. Yumi did the same and narrowed her eyes at the passers by, and Sapphire wasn't far behind from letting out a growl.

"Being a noticeable face isn't easy..." was Tigress' response, before a quick, half stifled, sigh. "And many people can be a little... protective... of you."

"Weird," Jun pointed out with folded arms as the latest group continued to walk away. "...Cos you protect people on a daily basis from bandits and pirates."

"Indeed." Lok fixed his glasses. "It's like they are trying to pay back for everything you do, in every way possible."

"Maybe," Tigress shrugged as she tightened her grip on her satchel. "Now, from what I can remember... everything you four like is a form of art... so, if I am correct..." She paused mid step, and tried to find the stall through the crowds. "They would be near the music stands..." As the sea of bodies made their own currents to their destinations, she finally spotted one of the art stalls. "Over there." The contents in the stall were unknown from the distance, but Yuki and Yumi bounded ahead, nearly knocking strangers over with their speed and excitement. Tigress slightly cringed while Lok, Jun, and Sapphire laughed while following them, leaving Tigress to apologize to either confused, surprised, or ticked off strangers.

* * *

**_Wǒmen de bǎoshí - Our Gem_**

**_Hope you like it guys!_**

**_Please Review and let me know what you think! Next chapter will be up soon!_**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"You can look at other stalls girls." A voice piped up suggestively. "There's more stalls to look at then just the one-"

"Oh look at _this_ one!" Yuki obviously ignored, and stared at the charm bracelets dangling from the organizers, as the stall owners watched on, her smile straining a little as the word trailed away from her lips. Tigress kept her eye on them, while checking on Jun and Lok frequently. Sapphire was with Yuki and Yumi, but her eyes were focusing on something else. "Yumi! Sapphire! Let's get this pattern!" That would be the only time Sapphire would look at the stall properly, and study everything on it briefly. "Do they come in _three's_ miss?"

"Yes dear." The stall owner produced one more. "I hope you don't mind they come in different colors, but share the same charms... of course." One came in red, the second in blue, and third in pink, and they all seemed happy with them. "That'll be nine yuan."

Tigress fished out the money, and handed it over to the stall owner, asking the trio if that was _all_ they wanted. The stall owner stared at Tigress, with small beads of sweat on her forehead as Yuki and Yumi jumped for joy, and started debating on other little trinkets. Jun and Lok were still looking at separate stalls, sometimes moving onto the next and then coming back in case there was anything else they have yet to see... but not as long as Yuki and Yumi were. They were there, at the one stall, for about _fifteen_ minutes, while Sapphire would stand silently, while looking at the owner with a small, apologetic smile, before staring back off at something else. Tigress chuckled a little, and mouthed her own beg-pardon as she gave extra money to the ower, before hearing Lok calling her.

She swiftly turned on her heel, and proceeded to perambulate through the crowd, until she reached Lok, hovering over a scroll. "Find something?" She asked when he turned to her. He nodded excitedly, while pointing out that Jun had found something too. She quickly paid for the scroll for Lok, while sneaking in a stationary kit, fully equipped with a parchment pad and several fine brushes, even though he told her not to do so. He repeatedly thanked for with a smile that seemed to never fade, and then followed her to buy whatever Jun was interested in. It was a small, calligraphy set for improving artists. He asked for it a small, nervous smile, something that was very unlike his usual character. "You should let me see some of your creations before I leave." She said after paying for it.

Jun grinned, holding the case against his chest lovingly as he and Lok grinned at her. "I will, I will!" He turned to look at Yuki and Yumi, laughing at the newest trinket they were bickering over, before staring at Sapphire, narrowing his eyes a little. Tigress noticed and asked what was up. "I know that tail flick anywhere... and it means danger." Was his only response.

Tigress turned to look at Sapphire, who was keeping an eye on the instrument stall beside the one she and the twins were standing. Her tail was low to the ground, with a small, but definitely visible flicker. "Wait here, and mind this for me." She said softly, before placing down her satchel, and walking up to Sapphire, and placing a paw on her shoulder. "Is everything okay?" She whispered. Sapphire instantly turned to face her, eyes shrunken. "What is it?" Tigress watched the cubs eyes shift from side to side, before she leaned in, and hissed lowly;

"That guy has a knife under his cloak." Tigress didn't move a muscle, but her eyes averted to the tall, clothed wolf beside Sapphire, acting as innocent as any bystander around her. He stood with a straight and confident build, and his grey eyes looked at all the instruments with great interest. "I know he could have it on his person for protection... but last time I checked I tall muscular guy like him won't need a weapon in hand... I just feel something really off with him..."

"Don't worry," Tigress looked back at Sapphire again with a reassuring nod. "I'll make sure no one gets hurt... follow me." Sapphire did so and the two made the short steps to the next stall. "Excuse me." The stall owner, and the wolf immediately turned to Tigress, whom had Sapphire by her side with a curious look. "This little one," she placed a paw on Sapphire's shoulder, as the girl smiled at the wolf innocently, but her knees were buckling. He smiled back surely enough, but the two of them easily saw him tightening his jaw as soon as he did so after he briefly met with Tigress' eyes. "She loves music, and she was wondering if she could try one of the instruments?"

The stall owner, who was a white sheep, smiled, brushing down his overgrown woolly mane. "Of course! Which one would she like to try out?" Sapphire looked around the various instruments; Pipas, Tiqin's, Zhu's, guitars, and flutes sat attractively in front of her. Which one should she choose? Tigress just pressed this task on her, and she wasn't sure on how she should feel about it. "Might I suggest this guitar?" He picked up the hollow instrument, and lightly waved his hoof's over the strings. "In my opinion, it's easy to play, won't take long to learn." He passed her the guitar, and Tigress watched as Sapphire held it... almost lovingly in her arms. Almost like it was part of her "Have you played an instrument before?"

"No sir," Sapphire replied politely. "I hear the musicians from my room everyday, and one even came to the op- I mean house... once. But I've always wanted to learn."

"I'm sure there are lessons around her somewhere," commented the wolf. "My daughter is about your age... and loves music." The wolf gestured towards the flutes. "She used to play the flute, as my father did before. But now she plays the guitar herself, but she was a natural. Just had to make up a melody, and there you have it! A master piece."

"Awesome!" Sapphire smiled sweetly. "I 'll try that..." She then began to strum gently, humming lowly, until a group of travelling musicians over came her volume. She turned to watch them as they were only a foot or so back behind them, but then the wolf suggested she should sing with them. She looked up at Tigress for a solution, and she nodded. Swallowing nervously, after receiving an apologetic look from Tigress, she walked up to the musicians, who payed no attention to her;

_"I've been trying to do it right..." _The musicians paused with annoyed looks, all but the youngest girl, who was probably the same age as Sapphire, smiled, and swayed in time. _"__I've been living a lonely life..."_

_"Ho!"_ The musician girl added, gaining a nervous smile from Sapphire. "_I've been sleeping here instead..." _She shot Sapphire a welcoming smile, over clouding the other musicians' expressions.

_"Hey!"_ Sapphire strummed the string quickly.

_"I've been sleeping in my bed... __(Ho!) I've been sleeping in my bed... __Hey! __Ho!"_

_"(Ho) __So show me family! __(Hey!) All the blood that I will bleed..." _Sapphire suddenly looked up to see the many eyes watching her closely_._ Some were clapping along, and the other musicians, after a nod or two between one another, soon began to play along with them, as they hummed and copied the girl that was with them. She shyly smiled towards Tigress, who stare at her with wide eyes, her lips only parted enough to reveal the white of her teeth. _"__(Ho!) I don't know where I belong... __(Hey!) I don't know where I went wrong..."_ She slowly strummed. _"__(Ho!) But I can write a song..."_

_"Hey! __1, 2, 3-"_

_"I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet- H-E-A-R-T!" _The crowd cheered and clapped as she hit the last note, and then the musicians sang in the harmony after her. _"__I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet- heart..."_

_"Ho!"_

"That girl is very talented." Tigress' gentle smile, soon turned a little strained, and sinister.

"Yes... she is. She's also into knife wielding..." _(Hey!) _"Maybe you can teach her sometime?"

_(Ho!)_ The smile slowly fell from the wolf's face. "I beg your pardon?" His eyes averted to Tigress, looking discombobulated, and a little distraught. "Might I ask why you're asking this?" _(Hey!)_

_"(Ho!) I don't think you're right for him..." _Sapphire caught sight of Tigress talking to the wolf, grinning a little at his expression. The plan was working, and it was going on smoothly... "_(Hey!) Think of what it might have been if you...""_

"Hmm..." Tigress thought for a moment. "I'm not sure... what I'm meant to ask is why you have a knife hooked to your belt?" The wolf growled at her, and swiftly reached for the said weapon, but Tigress' paw grabbed his wrist just in time. _(Ho!) Took a bus to China Town... _The stall owner saw the glint from the knife and squeal in fear, catching the attention of some of the other stalls, and customers. _(Hey!) I'd be standing on Canal..._ Yuki and Yumi turned their gaze from Sapphire, along with the rest of the crowd and musicians, to check out what was going on. _(Ho!) And Bowery... _Lok and Jun stopped in mid-conversation, and turned to see what was going on, but the big crowd on Sapphire never turned their gaze. "In case you don't realize, when I'm around..." she tightened her grip slowly, and his left eye merely twitched without being noticed. _(Hey!)_ "Bandits never stand a chance. Now I'd advise you to leave... or we will have a few issues. Hand over your weapon, and get yourself out of this... Is that clear?" _(Ho!) And she'd be standing next to me... _With a low growl, he reluctantly reached for the weapon that was in full view, and handed it over, before waiting for Tigress to let go, which only happened once the knife fit tightly in her grasp, and he backed away slowly, his paw holding onto his now sore wrist. He saw Jun, Lok, the twins, and Sapphire looking at him sternly, and as he bowed his head low, he swiftly turned on his heels, and bolted it out of there. _(Hey!) _Tigress' gaze never left the wolf's form until it was completely out of sight...

_"1, 2, 3-" _She turned back and watched Sapphire nodding at her with a kind of grin that came before someone burst out laughing, but Tigress winked at her.

_"I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my s-w-e-e-t-h-e-a-r-r-r-t..." _

"Master?" Tigress turned around, to meet the stall owner, who seemed a little shaken up, smiling gratefully. _I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart... _"Thank you... very much."

"I'm just doing my duty..."

"And as a token... I would like to give you one of my crafts for free..." _Love we need it now..._

"That's very kind of you... but I don't play an instrument..." But then her ears flicked at the sound of Sapphire and the musicians, and slowly turned her head in their direction. Lok, Jun, and the twins were sitting with them, singing along to the melody happily.

_"Let's hope for some!  
__Cause oh, we're bleeding out-"  
_

_"I belong with you,"_ Yuki held onto Yumi's paw.

_"You belong with me," _Yumi held onto Yuki as well, and they smiled at Jun and Lok, who had an arm around one another. _"Y__ou're my sweetheart..." _They laughed with the crowd as Jun and Lok just threw each other a look, and quickly retreated their arms. _"__Cause oh, we're bleeding out..."_

_"I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart... __I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet..." _Sapphire's eyes closed as her fingers danced along the strings, gradually slowing down as she listened slowly to the crowd clapping along with the musicians. _"Ho!"_

"I think..."

_"Hey!"_

"I think I know..."

_"Ho!"_

"Someone..."

_"Hey!"_

"Who does..." Tigress applauded along with the crowd as the stall owner nodded in agreement. That voice was so beautiful, and so strong for a young girl like Sapphire... a natural talent. Sapphire smiled shyly as she shook paws with each of the musicians while the other orphans joined her side, who congratulated her on her first gig. She smiled and simply told them she was just trying out the instrument. "Not anymore!" Tigress called. Sapphire turned to her with a confused look, almost mirroring the wolf, but she slowly began to realize what she was referring to. Tigress smiled as Yuki and Yumi gasped, and Jun and Lok patted her on the back with big grins. "It's all yours now."

* * *

**Hope you like it guys! Please let me know what you think in your reviews!**

**Sorry for the long wait!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Master Tigress..." A voice sang as the strings unleashed a fat tone **(lots of harmonics/overtones.) **As Tigress and the five teens neared their seats to a nearby restaurant. Many heads turned their direction, and the majority smiled at them, ad continued with their own business, some with different expressions than before. "I cannot thank you enough!" Tigress laughed as the others joined in, and so did the waitress who handed out each of the menus.

"Trust Master Tigress to have a heart of pure gold," she said. She winked at the tiger as she said this. "Now I or another waiter will be over shortly."

"Thank you," they all said, and then watched her walk away before Tigress returned her gaze to each of them; She sat at the head of the table, with Sapphire on her right-hand side, followed by Lok. Jun was directly facing Tigress, and the twins were on her left-hand side; all eyes on their newest treasure.

"And you have thanked me enough." Tigress laughed softly as she put the satchel on the ground. "I just hope Mei lets you keep it..."

"She'll have to!" Yumi declared. "Or else you'll go downtown on her!" Tigress smiled, and replied with something along the lines of whether she was a kung fu master or not, she could still persuade people if she wanted to let things stay sweet without violence. _After all, _she thought, _she said I could treat them... and I did... kind of. Sapphire didn't want me to know she loved music... maybe she thought that would be too much to ask... though she got it for free... _

"So, what are we ordering?" Tigress asked, as they all looked down at the menus; it was a beige colored parchment, with the initials of the restaurants name dancing along the top in black, and as they scanned the dishes, the words seemed to swim into their view, along with one or two small illustrations of what was being sold. Each name dragged them closer to the pages until their heads nearly touched the table. Soon enough, the waitress returned and took their orders, and left with what they requested written. "Paws down, today was, _the _best!" Jun exclaimed adding emphasis on the 'e', as his fingers drummed on the tables surface.

"Yeah!" The twins sang in agreement, and from there, a buzz of conversation amongst them all materialized, about everything, and about nothing at the same time. All things normal, and nothing serious. Young, wild and carefree... until someone declared that their cousin was having a dumpling eating contest against a total stranger. Jun, the twins, and Lok looked at Tigress to see if she would let them have a look. When she nodded, they were up and out, while shouting back 'yeah' when she asked them to come back when their food arrived. Then it was just Tigress and Sapphire left at the table. The guitar sat silently beside the young feline, and the sound of her voice never left Tigress' mind. It just had an easy flow around her head, and that was what she always looked for in music.

"Are you not going to join them?" She asked, seeing it as the only way to start a conversation, as she slowly picked up the satchel, and placed it on her lap.

"Nah, not into all that." Sapphire laughed. "Not into seeing people having an eating competition I mean... It gets dirty." Tigress shared a laugh with her the second time, and when the girl wasn't looking, she swiftly took the box out of the satchel and placed it on the table. The soft sound of it touching the table, Sapphire immediately turned to face her, before staring down at the box suspiciously. "What is that?" She asked as it was pushed towards her.

"Before I left, Mei asked me to give this to you... as it would be more relatable by giving an orphan something... by another." Tigress reeled her arms back, and her paws found each other as she tried to connect her eyes with Sapphire's. "She said now was the time for you to get this... as she got instructions to give it to you when you were old enough to understand." Sapphire placed a paw on the lid, and quietly opened it to see everything Tigress could only see briefly;

_With love, to our darling Gem,  
Whom fills our hearts with rapture._

_Never forget our love is unconditional,  
__Even if we are in a duration of departure..._

_Love Mama and Papa._

"This..." Sapphire stared down at it while whispering before she looked at Tigress wide-eyed. "This was left with me-"

"Yes..." Tigress smiled, while she reached out to hold Sapphire's paw quietly, as she watched her look at the necklace. "I recommend you go through the rest, later on, tonight... but Mei wanted you to have it as soon as possible... you know? Plus, any questions could be answered..." Sapphire knew what the feline meant, and merely bobbed her head without question, before jumping for Tigress, who didn't flinch as she felt Sapphire's arms wrap around her neck, pulling her into a meaningful embrace.

"Thank you..." She whispered, her voice breaking slightly, and tightened her embrace. Tigress slowly wrapped her arms around Sapphire as well, and held the girl against her frame tighter... especially when the child began to cry. Tigress felt eyes turning on them, but she didn't care. As she felt Sapphire shaking against her, while letting out a sob or two, and her shoulder getting a little damp, she rested on her shoulder too.

"It's okay..." she whispered, feeling her own eyes starting to well up. "Just let it out..."

* * *

_That night..._

Tigress awaited outside Mei's office once more, but this time, she was not alone. Po leaned against the wall beside her, his head also against the wall as silence rained in the hall. His eyes were on Tigress the whole time, as she looked up at the moon that hung far from her reach, in the dark, twilight sky.

_She had returned many hours before, to find Mei and some of the other nurses, waiting for their return. She smiled at the gifts that the orphans showed her... but it almost disappeared when she saw the guitar that Sapphire was holding if she didn't tighten her jaw slightly to keep the smile in place... and looked straight at Tigress with a blank expression at first, and then slowly a frown once Sapphire, the twins, Lok, and Jun were waved away._ Tigress knew that look anywhere, and she nodded immediately... resulting in her presence by the goat's door, and Po's excuse of being there was going to be that he was just happening to be walking down the hall (for whatever reason... most likely food) and ran into her, finding her in the way she was now, and decided to stand with her in the dark, and be silhouetted by the darkness against the wall, if Mei were ever to question.

Tigress knew that look anywhere, and she nodded immediately... resulting in her presence by the goat's door, and Po's excuse of being there was going to be that he was just happening to be walking down the hall (for whatever reason... most likely food) and ran into her, finding her in the way she was now, and decided to stand with her in the dark, and be silhouetted by the darkness against the wall, if Mei were ever to question.

"How was today?" He asked to break the space between them.

"Fine," Tigress smiled as her head moved more his way until it almost felt like they were lying side by side. While he scooted towards her, she continued talking, as her head slowly found itself lying on his shoulder. "Sapphire was able to help me to stop a bandit from doing anything. She was alert, and is very quick thinking about informing it, and took her task in it well... resulting in the guitar."

"She got it for free?" A nod only answered it. "I bet she was on cloud nine."

Tigress chuckled. "Of course. I am as well..." She felt Po's paw settle on her stomach as he smiled at her. "With everything positive going on... you know, the news for us, Monkey adopting Chang and the little guy getting better... but as for Mei... not so much I think... this is why I'm waiting here."

"But it was nice of you to let Sapphire have it... don't understand how Mei _can't _let her keep it."

"Mainly because I don't want the younger children breaking it on her." Po nearly leaped out of his skin, as he jumped for Tigress, who immediately caught him in her arms as he wrapped his arms around her neck... and sat in her arms bridal style. "Now now," Po and Tigress saw Mei standing outside her door. "A little old lady like me shouldn't scare someone like the dragon warrior _that_ much."

"Heh..." Po began nervously before Tigress let him fall, and he suddenly found himself on the ground in front of the goat. "It's wasn't as much being_ scared- _more of... being taken by surprise." He smiled when it made Mei chuckle, giving himself to stand and dust himself off.

"As for Master Tigress..." Mei immediately rolled her eyes to the feline. "I thought you weren't one to be persuaded so easily..."

"She's not," Po replied with a chuckle while folding his arms. "It took a _lot_ of persuading to get her into a wedding dress." Tigress rolled her eyes and made some kind of remark that it didn't take that much. "So a _week_ isn't long for you?"

_"Anyway," _Tigress spoke so sternly, Po shut his mouth immediately. "Sapphire helped me stop a potential robbery, and the owner was giving it free of charge... and seeing that Sapphire was in her element with the guitar, I couldn't let this chance slip past." Mei smiled and pointed out that she couldn't agree more... but that wasn't the reason why she actually wanted Tigress to see her. "What for?" Tigress asked as Mei revealed an old rusty key.

"Say no more, both of you," Mei said. "Just follow me."

* * *

The halls were dimly lit with small islands of salvation that were stuck to the walls. Po and Tigress wandered behind Mei, who kept focusing on anything that was ahead of her, with a tired, and serious look printed on her face. Tigress already felt uneasy going up the flight of stairs that were in their way previous, but she knew where they were doing, and the walls seemed to close in a little on her. Her chest felt like it was tightening a bit... up until Po held her paw at least. He smiled at her reassuringly, and then they carried on in silence. When it felt like it was going to take forever, Tigress caught the view of an oh so familiar door. "Is this..." Po began but was silenced by a hasty shush from the goat in front of them, as she connected the key into the lock, snug as a gun. Tigress wasn't sure if Po could see it but thanks to her night vision, she bright capturing eyes, could see the on two shelves on both sides of the door, she saw candles pots on them, yet to be lit... and shed more light to the dim halls. Her eyes closed when the iron door glinted under her vision. There were flashbacks running through her head, ones that she never wanted to see again... ones she was eventually able to quickly push away before she could contemplate them any further... ones that she promised herself that she'd never let to break her... but was she breaking that promise to herself?

_Click._

_..._

_C-r-r-r-r-e-e-e-e-e-e-a-k._

Mei said nothing and just gestured Tigress to walk through the semi-black hole that stood in the frame. With a gentle squeeze on the shoulder by her husband, Tigress gently closed her fists, and bravely took big steps inside, leaning forwards to gaze at the moonlight streaming through the window and into the same room she remembered... It was... cleaner, and the ripped sheets on the bed were replaced with neat, dusty ones... and on a side table, she didn't recognize, was a pile of scrolls. The roars of her younger, angrier self-image echoed in her head as she slowly examined the length of the room. Starting from the door, and along the bare walls, where she noticed a few claw marks. She crept towards it and gently ran her fingers along the marks. "_Well, you should be! I'm Tigress! Tigress the Monster!" _Declared an angry child... who must have felt more than that... she must have felt scared, sad, confused... not knowing where life was going to ever lead her.

_"You're not a monster..." _A response came to that child, weaving itself around her ears as she closed in on the ground just in front of this side-table. _"You're just a little girl..."_

"Little girl..." Tigress whispered, feeling a slight chill on her shoulder.

_You must learn to control your strength..._

"And you learned in good time." Her head turned sharply, to find Mei standing there, candle lit in her grasp, and Po standing behind her, taking his own detailed gander. "I knew the journey would be tough, but you made it..." She gestured to the scrolls. "Over the years, we had many children who questioned your lessons with Shifu, life in the Jade Palace, and how you achieved... and many decided to leave you questions behind... in hopes one day you would read them and answer..." Tigress picked one up with obvious consent. The ink on the page was lightly covered with dust, but with a gentle blow over, she saw the message;

_Master Ti-giss, _(She chuckled at this error.)  
_What is it like to be part of the Jade Palace? I heard that it was where Tai-Lung lived... and you only arrived when that happened! It must be awesome to know you are more of a hero he will ever be!  
__I hope I get to meet you...  
__Love,  
__Fu, aged nine._

She closed it slowly as Mei continued. "Many of these questions and statements I read before... I've been needing to send them for a long time... but I felt every time that I went to pick them up... I couldn't." Mei bowed her head slightly as Tigress placed the scroll down. "I knew we would cross paths again one day... but it would've have been a nice reunion if it was any other time than one we would work together... getting your response to the request, I knew something was going right... not just for the sake of the kids... Chang... Sapphire... but for me too." Tigress could sense the goats voice breaking, and turned to her and knelt down to her height. "Tigress, I apologize for any time I caused you pain, hate for life, and fear for love. I realize how bad it would affect an orphans adult life... but meeting everyone you work with... or in one case... married and expecting a child with... I now know that they were what you need... and will stay with for life. I wish... I could take back time, and try to fix what us Nurses caused."

Tigress placed a paw on her shoulder and looked deeply into the goat's eyes. "What has happened here remains in the past, and nothing more can be done to fix it. But at the same time? Looking at the past can help one move forward... to love and forgiveness. My past made me who I am _today... _and I'm not back here just to save the orphanage... I'm back to reconnect." And with that, she pulled the old goat into a hug, making her drop the candle, stubbing out the light with her tail as Mei held her tightly. Tigress had her eyes closed briefly as she stubbed out the light, but once she opened them to look at her husband, who was smiling at her continuously, flashbacks entered her mind again, but this was second stage they replayed around...

But they had a glow around them this time as soon as she smiled back.

* * *

_**Hope you like this chapter guys! The story is finally coming to an end! The next chapter or so will definitely be the last!**_

_**Please review and let me know what you think!**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Tigress stood in the shadows as Masters and Villagers wandered into the courtyard of the orphanage full of light and the children that were assigned to greeting them... while she kept a close eye on things. Laughter and light music sang through the air as Mei and the other masters came walking down the stairs, making sure they didn't touch the decorations that wrapped around the banisters and railings. With the addition of the sun with the decorations and sounds, the atmosphere was truly calming and welcoming, and Tigress knew that everyone felt it as soon as they stepped foot into the courtyard when the smiles swept away all uncertainty and tiredness. Children from the village took a wide-eyed gander, before being greeted by some of the orphans. Some had dolls and other toys with them, and other just themselves, shyly talking in hopes to make friends. One or two people noticed her in the shade, and bowed to her, and she nodded back, unsure whether they saw or not. Viper, Mantis, Monkey and Crane approached and asked her little things, which she passed off casually until Po came up and answered some of them for her, as she felt his arm wrap around her slowly, and hold her closely. She allowed him to do so, while her mind was beginning to wander somewhere else. It was weird to think upon arriving days earlier, she was unsure about her decision to come back, with questions and problems of her own... and now, coming to the end fairly soon, so much has changed. Monkey will be a father, she will be an aunt, let alone have her first child with Po within a few months... and Monkey will also become an uncle like Crane and Mantis, and then meeting Sapphire and the other teenagers, the orphans... and being able to reconnect with Mei after so long... all of it was nothing she expected to come out of this visit.

"Tigress!" She snapped out of her deep thought as the masters in front of her turned around, and there stood Sapphire and the Twins, smiling in the sunlight. Tigress smiled back, and walked out to them, with Po and the others smiling. "I can't believe the amount of people that are here!" Yuki looked around excitedly with Yumi while she spoke, and Sapphire looked at the decorations that hung over them. One lantern, a simple Crimson color, hung inches over Tigress. "Do you think any of them will adopt us?"

"You never know Yuki, just be yourself today, show them what you can give to the world and who knows," Tigress replied, making the wolf grin with even more excitement. "So what has Mei assigned you to do?" Yumi said something along the lines of 'you'll see for yourself' after Mei finished talking to the landlord, and Sapphire nodded her head in the direction Mei was in as her paws were occupied with her guitar, where she was seen talking to a fox, _just_ as ancient as _she_ was (quote by one of the twins, result in a stifled chuckle from the feline). Just then Jun and Lok came running and said Master Shifu needed an extra few paws for something and needed Yuki and Yumi to come with them. The excused themselves and ran off, leaving Sapphire and Tigress in the busy crowd. "And there is no need to tell me what Mei asked you to do," Tigress smiled as Sapphire strummed a few strings lightly. "As that thing is never gone from your arms!"

Sapphire laughed. "What can I say? I'm in my element... and something good is gonna happen today. I can feel it!" She spotted Tigress' smile turning into a sly smirk. "What?"

"Indeed, as I've been meaning to tell you something."

"Oh? Well... what is it?"

"Remember when you sat with me before your lessons?"

"Yeah?"

"And you said something to me?"

Sapphire's shoulders hunched slightly as her eyes shrunk a little. "Yeah... and I told you to forget about it..."

"I couldn't no matter how hard I tried, you see..." She leaned forward and whispered into Sapphire's ear... and after reeling herself back a few seconds later, Sapphire's ears stood as tall as they could, and her eyes were large with shock, before she opened her mouth to speak... but the words were caught in her throat, and were refusing to come out.

"Are you serious?!" She managed to cough out, watching Tigress smile innocently.

"I'm _always_ serious sweetie..." Sapphire blinked slowly but then smiled back, before whispering she won't tell anyone, reaching for the necklace that was now around her neck, fiddling with it slowly. Tigress looked down at it slowly, realizing it was from the box, and Sapphire's eyes slowly turning her gaze to it. "I guess you went through it last night?" She said softly.

"Yeah... There was this," she clasped her paw around the necklace lightly. "A photo... a song..." Sapphire's smile faded. "Tigress..." her mouth opened, as if she wanted to say something else, but her voice was holding itself back, refusing to let the words roll off her tongue.

"Sapphire?" Tigress placed a paw on Sapphire's shoulder. "Sapphire... I'm here, what is it? Are you okay?"

She suddenly shook her head like she came out of a gypsies spell. "Yeah... I'm fine... it was just a lot to take in last night..." She smiled again and played with the strings on the guitar like a champ, her grip a little tighter on the guitar. "Anyways, congratulations on the news..." her smile became slightly strained, "and let's just enjoy today huh?"

* * *

When the last few attendee's came through the doors, Mei ushered everyone to gather, stopping them in whatever they were doing. Tigress and Po happened to be with Master Shifu and the others, helping some Masters with their things when they heard Mei call for everyone's attention, and immediately came to her side, and stood straight and tall, watching the eyes of everyone around them. "Welcome, welcome... one and all to the Bao Gu orphanage. I hope you enjoy your time with us today, as the orphans are very excited to meet you all, and would love to show you all what makes them all wonderful, loving, and unique." Everyone clapped on cue as her arms lowered. "As you also know, the Master's of the Jade Palace have spent the last few days with us, helping, bonding, and taking care of the orphans, us nurses... and we are delighted to announce that Master Monkey is now the caring father of one of the orphans!" Monkey was holding baby Chang, who was sleeping in a wooly blanket, and smiled at everyone who clapped for him, and grinning at Po who patted him on the back. Today we will thank you all for your generous donations and support, but today will also display our thanks to Master Shifu, the Dragon Warrior, the five... and Master Tigress." Everyone clapped the second time while looking at the feline, who nodded at them all without saying a word, and the first set of orphans, a group of ducklings, came into the view of all, as Mei took a step back. They introduced themselves as four-year-old triplets, and after achieving a few coos from individuals, they welcomed everyone once again, but in a more cutesy art style, printing their hopes that everyone will remember this day, before handing it over a group of boys, who reenacted some famous battles, either with themselves, or action figures, telling the story as precise as ancient scripture.

Everyone clapped the second time while looking at the feline, who nodded at them all without saying a word, and the first set of orphans, a group of ducklings, came into the view of all, as Mei took a step back. They introduced themselves as four-year-old triplets, and after achieving a few coos from individuals, they welcomed everyone once again, but in a more cutesy art style, printing their hopes that everyone will remember this day, before handing it over a group of boys, who reenacted some famous battles, either with themselves, or action figures, telling the story as precise as ancient scripture. That lasted a couple of minutes, and then girls, aged about seven or eight, did their own reenactment of Viper's battle against the gorilla when she was little. Viper blushed when they added a bit of comedy dialogue, but was touched. Soon, the older children were brought along- and by older, meaning Jun, Yumi, Lok, and Yuki. They were in costume, and Tigress was immediately thinking of this until Viper leaned in and whispered that she helped make the costumes, which answer Tigress' personal question, before turning to see what they were going do;

The four stood in a small diamond shape, straight with their head lowered, and in silence, until the sound of a Zhu began to play in a slow, flowing melody. Everyone sat in what could only be broken until Jun, standing in front, rose his head;

_"With vision trapped in honey and ashes in the mouth _  
_Journey's always end, pointing artic south..." _Yuki and Yumi began to allow their bodies flow in time with the music, closing their eyes as they began to do tai chi.

Crane leaned in towards the five. "This was why I was asked to teach them some basic tai chi." Viper immediately thought about yesterday, when Mei spoke to Crane privately after Tigress left.

_"Beginning with a footstep made on unsure ground  
__It only took a mile to find our two feet bound...  
__Resistance, such a weapon, is a warriors' excuse  
__Bit it shall be worn down and made of little use  
__The windows to the soul, they drip honey from their wells..."_

_"And ashes is the mouth, testify the journey's failed...  
__The spirit battered is a cloud begging imagination to mold," _Lok began to talk as the diamond form rotated and expanded as the twin continued their synced movements, but now letting Jun to join them.  
"_Though we failed the mission, we must fight against the cold.  
__With hands that shake and shiver, from the freeze, from the pain  
__Faces devoid of color, and live now all but drained...  
__Where is the mighty zeal that begat the warrior way?__"_

_"The generals of industry know the soldiers' fortune can't endure, _  
_If they are made to fight another cowards war..." _Yuki and Yumi raised their arms slowly, faced them towards the sunlight, and waved them about like a river's gentle flow.  
_"Still it was just a fall better days await both you and me  
__The journey and the night have been long, and the wounds run deep  
__But the fight is far from over, we must sustain another week  
__Life is but a journey that starts within the mind..."_

The four moved together out in the directions of north, south, east, and west, did various symbolized moves, and then moved back towards one another, linking arms as they opened their eyes, and spoke the final verse in unison.  
"The_ battlefield is calling we must stand the test of time  
__The fallen warrior knows that the last measure was his heart  
__And there is where the journey ends, a__nd where the journey starts."_

"And what a teacher you were!" Viper whispered as the four got warm round of applause after they bowed. "The tai chi was perfect, the gestures, with the music... spot on!" Crane blushed deeply and thanked her, while looking at the others who nodded in agreement, but then their attention turned to Po when he walked away, and into the center of the crowd. "Where's he going?" Tigress could only smile to herself, and watched Crane and the others see Sapphire making her way quietly to where Po stood, guitar, of course, in hand.

* * *

_**The Heart Of The Warrior - Poem by Derrick Puente**_

**Hope you like it guys! Please review! Sorry for the wait!**


	21. Chapter 21

**I'd like to announce that I'm taking a break from Kung fu Panda FF for the next few weeks, as I'm planning to write a story to get published! I'm also getting into writing poetry (tired of reading depressing poets for school so decided to make my own XD) I hope everything goes well, and I'll keep you guys updated about my progress! I'm not leaving don't worry! But just don't expect anything for KFP for the next while. I'm trying to catch up with my school work as well, plus it feels like I'm abandoning my Ice age one shots, and I need to work on that! Got essays to do too and I have this hike coming up as well as a friends birthday. I'll come on ff every now and again to read others peoples work, and will work on my stories as well, but just not gonna uploading in the Kung fu panda forum for now :3**

**Chapter 21**

"I think I know where this is going." Monkey said slowly. He looked down at Chang, who wriggled about and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "What do you think buddy?" Chang cooed in response, before reaching out for Tigress, whining a little as his eyed half closed. "Okay, okay, go to auntie Tigress..."

Tigress smiled at Chang as he settled in her arms. He laughed and reached for her face as he was held closer to it, and lightly touched her cheeks. Crane and the others smiled as she soon had him against her chest, nearly asleep... "Hello there..." She whispered softly. She lifted him up a little closer, looking towards Monkey as she added softly. "Are you coming home with us?" He pulled himself back a bit, and looked up at her questioningly, eyes big and bright. "Are you?" He giggled and began to chatter excitedly as she laughed and lifted her head a little more to feel the baby wrap his tiny little arms around her neck. "I'll take that as a yes then!"

Viper and Shifu smiled, Monkey folded his arms while grinning, Crane gave a silent 'aw' while his left wing found it's way to sit lightly on his chest at this warm hearted moment, and Mantis jumped atop of the avian's hat. "Just you wait til you and Po have a baby of your own... dotting mom right here." Mantis realised everyone looking at him, including a glare from Shifu, and chuckled nervously, before seeing Tigress with a serious, yet uncomfortable expression. "Am I right?" When he got no response, he swallowed slowly. "Sorry..." He hunched his shoulders when she inhaled, but then gave a questionable 'huh' when she smiled at him.

"Is there something wrong?" Shifu asked softly.

"Thank you for the compliment... why need to apologise?" She turned to Shifu as Chang stirred a little, making himself comfortable, "and no Master, I love that idea... besides..." Her ears picked up at the sound of the guitar and then turned her gaze back to Po and Sapphire standing together, and some of the guests swaying in time with the rhythm. She copied them, making out that she was rocking the baby back and forth. "I'm sure that scenario will materialize very soon..." Viper and the others _s-l-o-w-l-y _looked at one another, eyes widening a little, but soon also had their gaze on Po and Sapphire;

_**Po:  
**__I remember tears streaming down your face  
__When I said, "I'll never let you go..."  
__When all those shadows almost killed your light...  
__I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone..."  
_Sapphire closed her eyes, her mind dancing among her element..._  
__But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight...  
_A smile crawling along her face and she took a sharp intake of air...

_**Sapphire:  
**__Just close your eyes  
__The sun is going down  
_"Nice song isn't it?"  
_You'll be alright  
_Tigress stopped and turned to see where the deep voice was coming from, to see a tiger; tall, handsome, with orange and white fur just like herself... but his eyes were an odd character in themselves. A mixture of brown and... blue?  
_No one can hurt you now  
_"I didn't startle you did I?" He asked. Tigress smiled, shifting Chang into anoth position before her arms locked in place.  
_Come morning light  
_"No, no." She turned her gaze back to Po and Sapphire. "And yes... the song is beautiful... full of meaning."_  
__You and I'll be safe and sound..._

In the duration of the guitar solo, everyone was swaying in sync, even Shifu and the other Masters.

_**Po:  
**__Don't you dare look out your window darling  
__Everything's on fire-  
__The war outside our door keeps raging on...  
_"I never knew the Dragon Warrior was into singing... learn something new every day." Shang chuckled as he fixed his black and white tunic. "Of course, you would know this... your his wife... right?"  
_Hold onto this lullaby... _Tigress nodded, bowed, having a firm hold on the (now) sleepy monkey. "Tigress, please."  
_Even when the music's gone...  
_The tiger bowed back."Shang." _Gone..._

_**Sapphire:  
**_Just_ close your eyes_  
_The sun is going down...  
_Tigress and Shang listened in silence for a few seconds, almost willing to let the awkwardness sink in before Shang spoke up again to break it. "This song reminds me of my sisters." Tigress turned to look at him but saw the troubled look on his face, which she soon mirrored as she asked how. "I was an orphan."  
_You'll be alright...  
_"Left here with my two sisters; one older, and the other was only a newborn, merely three weeks old. I was only about eight or nine when we woke up to find ourselves here, with no acknowledgement of what was going on... or what happened to our parents." Tigress felt her ears flatten a little. "My older sister... grew ill, and I found out I was being adopted out to my loving and caring family."  
_No one can hurt you now...  
_"My sister asked me to take care of the youngest... but my family wouldn't adopt a second child. I refused to leave, but before I knew it, I was gone from both of them. I haven't seen them since..."  
_Come morning light...  
_**_"She must be with me! I swore to take care of her no matter what! __No! I promised Mei! I promised Mei!" _**Tigress manoeuvred Chang into her other arm, before using the arm Chang was in previously to reach out and place a paw on Shang's shoulder. "I'm sorry..." She said softly, earning a gentle smile from Shang.  
_You and I'll be safe...  
_ "What... was your old sister's..."  
_and...  
_ "name?"  
"Mei..." Tigress felt her heart drop. "Why?"  
_S__ound...  
__**"Who's Mei? Please tell me!"** _Before Tigress could say anything, Shang was suddenly looking towards the swing not far off the side, with wide eyes.

_Oooh, Oooh...La La (La La)  
_Tigress turned to look at the lonesome, vacant swing... before seeing that smile again, was sitting there, smiling at them and waving happily, eyes glowing.  
_Oooh, Oooh...  
_"Can you..." Shang and Tigress glanced at one another... "See that?"  
_La La (La La) _**_The boy looking down at her had the the mixture of blue and brown in forming in his eyes like some kind of potion being created by gypsies,  
_**_Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh,  
_**_ but they were hypnotizing and beautiful all the same...  
_**La La_ (La La)..._

_**Sapphire:  
**__Just close your eyes...  
_Small guitar solo..._  
__You'll be alright...  
_Another small solo..._  
__Come morning light-  
__You and I'll be safe...  
_Her eyes turned to Tigress._**  
**and...  
_There was a gleam wiping over her eyes that Tigress couldn't understand, as she passed Chang back to Monkey._**  
**Sound..._

_**Po and Sapphire:  
**Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh oh-oh..._

Sapphire was the only one out of the two who seemed a little shaky when the crowd erupted with applause. Po patted her on the back, in his own usual facade, before pulling her into a hug, whispering 'well done' and 'great job' to her, as she felt the adrenaline draining out of her. She looked around after he let her go, feeling a little light headed, and saw a few people were actually wiping away tears as they paused mid clap. Mei Long walked up behind Sapphire while clapping, and Tigress came forward, wrapping her arms around Sapphire, who hugged her back tightly, slightly shuddering. "You were amazing," Tigress whispered repeatedly, before pulling herself away, and placing reassuring paws on the young girl's shoulders. "You hear me?" Sapphire nodded slowly, breathing out shakily while smiling at the sound of Jun, Lok, Yuki, and Yumi cheering her on. They ran up to her as Tigress stepped out of the way just in time, and let them attack Sapphire with the warmest, and tightest hug she could ever witness upon a person without feeling, and she kept thought on this until she felt Po's paws on her shoulders, and she smiled up at him.

"Well done," she said softly.

* * *

_**The next day...**_

After what seemed like eternity, Tigress was in her room, packing the few things she had taken with her to the orphanage... to return home... in a different way she, and the others, had first arrived. The sun was gleaming through the window, as her ears picked up Monkey and Po talking outside, while picking up the sound of Chang's cooing as well. _Arrived with six... _she laughed softly to herself as her paw found it's way to her stomach, with was starting to form a bigger bump, but no one else noticed but Po and herself. She looked up towards the dark ceiling, the smile still on her face at the very thought of one, simple thing; _Leaving with eight..._

"Nearly ready Ti?" Po asked when he and Monkey walked in. She turned to face them, and Chang immediately started chattering happily as soon as he saw her, flailing his arms in hopes she would hold him, but he accidentally hit Monkey on the cheek. It didn't look like it hurt, and more like a small bump then a smack, but Monkey held his cheek like it _did, _and looked down at Chang, pretending to be annoyed. "I'll do the rest if you want?"

"Sure."

Besides, Shifu wants to see you, down the hall." She nodded, kissed his cheek, briefly ruffled Chang's head fur, smiled at Monkey, and made her way. She thought about the baby as she walked down the lengthy hallway. The news of the baby had to be told soon, she thought. Obviously to Shifu and Mr Ping first, and then the five... or it could be all at once... Goodness knows how Shifu and the others would react at the news of the Dragon Warrior, and Master Tigress' expecting... but she was excited... they both were.

Viper, Mantis, and Crane were nowhere to be seen when she came into view of the courtyard, but the landlord was there with Shifu and Mei, while Sapphire, the other teenagers, the younger orphans, and a few of the villagers, probably for their own accord. The other Kung Fu Masters had already taken their leave, each given a D.I.Y gift from the orphans as a sign of gratitude... while some of the orphans went with one or two of them! "Ah Master Tigress," the Landlord spoke with a smile that Tigress was sure that had two meanings; one she thought it meant, which was kindness and goodwill, and one that meant the complete opposite. "I just wanted to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed the events here yesterday- and Mei, the Nurses, and the orphans must be grateful for what you have done for them."

Tigress smiled and bowed to him. "I hope all that was done is enough to insure you allow them to stay here- if not, I am willing to pay the fares." She had words with Shifu last night, and he agreed that half their income would go towards the orphanage for anything needed.

"No need my dear," the Landlord presented a scroll to her, and as he spoke, she saw it was a payment form, and he held his paws in a praying gesture as her eyes scanned the parchment, smiling. "The sponsors were more then enough, and I made my promise, and I shall keep it. Construction on fixing this place will be put under way immediately, as well as new furniture, supplies, and toys for the young-uns." Tigress smiled, before looking at Sapphire, Jun, Lok, and the twins, who were looking back at her silently.

"What about the older kids?"

The landlord's smile faded a little while giving a look of question, but when Tigress nodded towards them, he twisted his head to the side, gave an excited 'oh'. "Of course there will be new facilities for children in their age range..." Tigress was about to ask about why he spoke with lack of interest, but Jun piped up something that nearly made her head spin;

"We're leaving Bao Gu Master Tigress!" Yuki and Yumi were jumping excitedly, and Sapphire was smiling brightly, with Lok punching the air beside her. "We got adopted!" They immediately ran for her, but Sapphire must of warned them to be careful, 'cos it wasn't the kind of hug that would knock her over, but it didn't lack the warmth that came with it.

"All together?" Unfortunately, that wasn't the case; Yuki and Yumi were leaving with a female wolf named Topaz, a single mother who had a two sons; also twins, and the same age as Yuki and Yumi, and she had been longing for a daughter, but due to loss of her one and only when her sons were nine, she felt she could never form another relationship, and saw adopting the only option. Seeing the twins, she could never separate them, and they were more then happy to go with her. As for Lok, a wealthy scholar was adopting him, telling him he and his wife had one room in their house that was full to the brim with scrolls, both recreational and educational. Tigress could only imagine Lok falling head over heels when he heard this, and didn't hesitate to go with them. Jun was going to live with this artistic couple, in both arts, and music.

"As for Sapphire..." Shifu spoke up once they broke the hug. "She has been offered to go to live with Jun... but I gave a proposal." Tigress and Sapphire immediately looked at one another. "As the Valley Of Peace is known for it's music orientation, and many well known musicians... I feel that she can come back with us... not just to study music." Shifu slowly eyed Tigress. "I have spoken to Sapphire before, and she has always asked about Kung Fu, and showed interest... and I am willing to offer her a place in the Palace... as a student under Master Tigress and the Dragon Warrior's teachings." Tigress' eyes widened a little, but immediately replied that she was more then happy to do so... but it was up Sapphire. She looked at the girl as she said this... but instead of seeing eyes that were bright and exciting... she saw those eyes, those, big, dark blue orbs... alert, and uncertain. Sapphire held herself by the elbows, her guitar close by the Jun's new parents.

"As much as I have an interest in Kung Fu... but it's best for everyone if I didn't..." She took a deep, shaky breath, she gave Tigress a quirky smile, and pressed two letters in her paws slowly. Tigress opened them to find a song piece, and a picture of her in her battle stance, with each of the teenagers in their own stances. What made her smile the most was the "weapons" that each of them held; Tigress had her glorious, but rarely used nun-chucks, Sapphire had her guitar with various music notes playing a few centimetres from her. Jun held two paint brushes in the picture like they were butterfly knives, the twins had whips were various charms, and Lok had scrolls levitating around him as he floated in the air. "Besides... I just feel my heart, and destiny, lies on the path of music and art." Tigress felt her heart twist at the answer, but she and Shifu nodded understandingly, before pulling Sapphire back into a hug.

"Whatever you want... but if you change your mind, you know where to find me." She whispered, patting Sapphire on the back. Tigress felt the girl's head move in the motion of a nod, before pulling away and looking at the rest of them. "I wish you all the best of luck... and please write to me and let me know how everything is going." They all nodded enthusiastically, but them Yuki, probably realizing the reality, and ran for Tigress again, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Thank you..." She whispered. "For everything you have done." Tigress couldn't respond, because the rest of them joined Yuki, and held on like they never wanted to let go. But as Po and the others were coming into view, and soon greeted by hugs from the now adopted teens, Tigress felt an emptiness dwelling within her. In all honesty... Neither did she.

* * *

**_A few months later..._**

"How is she Viper?" Po asked worriedly, his paws clamped together by both his fingers and sweat, as he stood by the bed, where Tigress was currently resting, her stomach now much bigger then it was before.

"For the third time today Po she's _fine._" Viper giggled at Tigress' eyes rolling as she sat up slowly. "Just a false alarm." Crane, Mantis, Monkey, Mr Ping, and Shifu were there too, obviously very relieved at the news, and baby Chang, now much bigger and stronger, was sitting beside Tigress on the bed, staring at her stomach in awe.

"B-b-bell-ee-" He chattered. "B-iiiggie?"

"The baby is fine," Viper ignored him briefly. "But I'd say any day now, little Junior will be on his/her way!" Mr. Ping immediately clapped his wings excitedly. The news of the baby came to him the day they returned from Bao Gu... along with everyone else, and he was the first to jump with joy, as the rest just stared at Tigress, holding her (then) small, barely visible bump. "So it's nothing but bed rest now Ti... sorry." The feline smiled.

"That's fine by me," she placed a gentle paw on her stomach, and looked at Chang, who was just reaching out to touch it, but reeled his hand back sharpish, eyed big in surprise. They all chuckled at his innocence, and Monkey soon walked over and scooped him up, saying it was feeding time, and pointed out to Crane it was his turn to make the dinner, as Po simply refused to leave Tigress alone in the house, unless if there was a bandit raid and he was in need of assistance.

"Speaking of food," Po patted his own vast belly. "What do you want tonight Ti?"

"A bowl of noodle soup is fine with me." Tigress replied with a smile. Mr. Ping chuckled, as it was all that she had been asking for, before being waved off by Shifu, telling them all to make their way, and leave Tigress to rest until dinner. Everyone left, but as Shifu walked out, he swiftly left a pile of letters on the bed, smiled at Tigress when she looked at him questioningly, and then made his leave. Po kissed Tigress on the forehead and whispered to her suggestively to get some sleep while he went to make dinner. She nodded and she was soon alone with the letters beside her.

That smile Shifu gave her was a sign she had seen before; each time he ever did that, there was always a letter sent from Sapphire and Jun, Lok, or Yuki and Yumi. They had written a few times, and whenever they did, she stared at the song piece and picture she had stuck to the wall, the memories flooding in. The first three were from who she expected, and the final one was from Sapphire alone, which she found unusual, as she always shared parchments with Jun...

**_Hi Master Tigress!  
I hope you and the other Masters are well! Not long now til the baby right? I can't wait to hear from you about him or her!  
__Have you got anymore names yet? That's been in my mind for a while. I had names running through my head, but I ended up  
_**_**writing another song instead. Mama is so good at writing these things I don't know what I'd do! **  
_Tigress chuckled at the last bit, and the smile continued to stay on her face as she continued reading. Sapphire was talking about school, and the lessons she is giving Jun in music, and the art lessons Jun was giving her as well... but soon enough, towards the end of the seemingly long letter, much longer the ones she usually got, something in her mind clicked.  
**_You're probably wondering why I turned down the offer at the palace... It's for the best.  
_****_Being with you would've been awesome, but there is more to the reason why I said no...  
There is more to what I said... you know, me saying I was more of a music lover than being into the  
idea of going and learning Kung Fu with you and Po...  
_****_I was going to ask if there was any chance I could come to live with you... not as a student, but a daughter...  
_****_but when you told me about the baby that day, I decided not to... and I'm glad I didn't ask...  
I have thought about coming to the Jade Palace before... but as_****_ I went through that box you gave me the day  
you got me that guitar... and it held secrets.  
_**Tigress slowly lowered the letter, up until it was sitting on top of her stomach. She looked at the picture on the wall again, Sapphire's stance standing out the most, before looking at the letter again to read the rest.  
**_I don't know if Mei ever read looked in the box, let alone read some of the contents... but I am aware of who my biological parents are. I never told my adopted parents, but I had a few words with Jun, and sent a letter to Lok (We hear from him more often then the twins.) Jun is concerned, and Lok nearly flipped out when he got my letters, and wrote back frequently with endless questions. _****_My biological mother is no concern... as for my father..._**

_Swosh!_

Tigress jumped when she heard the swift sound swimming above her head, and she was stuck in her place until she heard something stick into the wall. When she thought it was safe, she turned her head to see an arrow planted into the wall, a foot or so over her head, with a note attached to it. She got up as slowly as she could, eyes on the open window not far from her bed, as she cautiously pulled the arrow out of the wall, and unravelled the note.

**I_ am the reason she said no._**

"What..." Tigress looked towards the window again. It was quiet to a certain extent outside, and the sun was slowly pulling itself away with the red sky, ready for the moon to take it's duty with the stars, and the wind rustled gently in the trees not far from her house. Taking in a deep breath, Tigress placed the arrow and note on the bed, and slowly crept towards the open window, holding her stomach protectively as she looked out the window, to find someone a few feet away from her window, just in front of the trees, cloaked, and still in the position of someone ready to shoot an arrow. She narrowed her eyes, leaned forward a little in hopes to see the person's face. "Who goes there?! Who are you?" She called. There was no response, so she said it again, louder this time. "Who _are _you?! I _demand_ an answer!" There was a faint chuckle crawling into her ears, as this person pulled off the hood, and Tigress gasped. With a small smile stretching across his face, eyes big and observant as Po's voice echoed behind Tigress, asking what was wrong, and who she was talking to. Tigress' eyes widened as _he _reeled back another arrow, she moved out of the way just in time for it to fly past her, but her reflexes were quick enough to catch it, realize there was another note, and rip it off the weapon, and look back out the window, to see that no one was there. She slowly opened the note, before dropping it, and the arrow, letting it hit the ground with a metal clank, and backing away from the window as Po came running. The note was still on the floor, and he failed to notice it, and the instruments that sat both on the floor, and the bed... at first.

**_Miss me?_**

**_The end...  
_**

**_Or is it?_**

* * *

**_Safe and Sound (Cover By Landon Austin and Ellie)_**

**And that's the end of this story! I hope everyone enjoys it! ****Will there be a sequel? Maybe, I do consider doing one after the break but who know :3 if so, what do you think will happen?! Who was that at the end? Who was Shang in the beginning? Who knows... 3:)**

**If you want a sequel, please show me some love and leave me a review!  
Love y'all!**


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